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.