The good, the bad, and the stressful.

Ugh.
I am having blog guilt.  You started this thing... you aren't just going to forget about it... are you?
I also feel a sore throat coming on and the list of things to do on my school calendar seem like they will never end.
I snapped at several kids today.
It feels like March in my school life and it is only September 15.
Our pay cut went into effect today.
Ugh.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I am doing. What I am doing, however, just never seems to stop. I know I need to let things go, but sometimes it is too difficult to figure those things out, so I just don't let anything go. There have been long hours at school and nights working at home; I haven't been to a yoga class since school started. Yuck.

Ok... Pull it together. Maybe it isn't that bad, but I am a little overwhelmed right now. I am going to use this blog post to try to cheer myself up, so I will tell you about some of the great things that are happening at school instead of writing a rant about all the things on my plate right now.

Number One: The public library in our neighborhood reached out to us to do a partnership wherein my reading students would run regular storytime presentations for the early childhood readers. We have met with the children's librarian several times and I am so excited to see how this goes. It is beneficial for my students because it teaches them even more about reading, gets them out and into the community, and gives them an opportunity to feel successful. This one should be really cute.

Number Two: I am working with some amazing colleagues from the Greater Madison Writing Project on a collaborative and multi-age discussion of the Go Big Read book: Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. My students, main high school students, UW-Madison freshman, and community members are all going to read the book and get together in October to discuss. It is a truly moving and informative story about immigration between Central America and the United States. This is going to be a really amazing project and it is so fun for me to get to work with so many different people.

Number Three: One of my classes always attends a play at American Players Theatre in the fall for a viewing of a Shakespeare play. This year we are going to see Taming of the Shrew. Before attending the play, we always read it out loud in class. This is usually a painful experience for everyone; the language is new (old, really) and challenging, kids think they can't understand any of it, I make them keep reading... this goes on through the entirety of the play. This year, however, is maybe the first time I have read a Shakespeare play with students and they really are understanding it from the start. It is so great to hear them laugh at the funny parts - a true sign that you know and understand what you are reading.

Well...I guess I am feeling a little better about things, but moreover, I feel like collaposing on the couch and watching re-runs of The West Wing. When I started this blog, I was on a high note at the end of the school year, I realize now that when you are in the thick of it, things are not as pretty. Good things are still happening and for now, that is what I need to focus on.

Week One.

Week one done. Well... let's be honest, "week one" was only a day and a half with students, but it could have fooled me. A new schedule with a million glitches, new students, new parents, starting up a new writing workshop, inservices, fire drills, arranging and re-arranging my room all made the first week feel like the first month. I went into this school year knowing that some things were going to be tricky in the beginning; I thought I had gotten all zen-like and prepared myself to proceed accordingly. The best laid plans... Both days of inservice left me stressed out to the point of being angry, and I found all the little things getting under my skin and making me feel stupid (twice). So, I am not going to lie, it has been a rough start to the school year. Before the kids came on Thursday, I was lying in the fetal position on the couch in the staff kitchen moaning about how I wasn't ready and I just needed some more time. I somehow mustered the courage to walk out the door, and I am glad that I did. On the first day of school, juniors became seniors, sophomores became juniors, and new students asked for hugs (twice). Things are never as bad as they seem they are going to be (this will be my mantra). As I drove away on Friday, I thought about the things I will get to do with my students this year. I thought of the books they will read, the conversations we will have, the writing they will do, all the things they will create that will show that they are young and growing people. It made me so excited. Even if it has been a rough start, I love teaching and I am excited to really get down to it. This weekend I got caught up on some planning, spent time with friends, and ate turkey with some of my co-workers. I work with some amazing people, and if it is going to be a rough start or a rough year or both, I am glad to know I have people who love, trust, and challenge me in my corner. It is now late night on Labor Day (10 PM is late for this girl), and I will start my first day of working on the new school tomorrow. More to come on all of these things.