I've been a bit AWOL from the blogging world through Mother's Day and graduation weekend for my daughter, but I am back on this rainy night to
participate in another CURRENTLY with the fabulous Farley. Reflecting on her collection of prompts is always is a huge highlight as the new month begins, as is connecting with other teachers who are soldiering through a beyond hectic time of year. Writing and sharing a small slice of my life is always good for the soul and the spirit!
With 18 more days of my school year left, here is what is on my mind and in my heart...
It is a quiet evening here and what is a wild thunderstorm to the north of my neighborhood, is just a rain shower in my backyard. The cool breeze wafting through the open window is a welcome relief, and this view out my front door makes me happy! The wild and wooly winter of 2014 is finally past!
It is that time of year when I need to start updating student files, adding work samples to their writing portfolios, and catching up on daily grading. I should be working on all those things, yet have chosen to feed the creative need and post here instead. I was telling a good friend the other night that I am at that point in my career where I would be content to stay in my yoga pants and write the day away--if I could make a living doing it. The exhaustive part of teaching has begun to weigh heavily on me as I age, not so much creatively, but mentally and physically. I often come home from my classroom on sensory overload, and just spend my evenings relishing the solitude and the quiet and not having to multi-task!
Because I am often so tired after my teaching day, chores that should be attended to daily often go undone. I purchased this collection of stylish bins "in good faith" this afternoon and hope they will spur me to act upon the piles/mountains of files I've made on and around my dining room table.
"Summer is coming" is my mantra, and that knowledge is what will keep me afloat as my students and I set sail for the last 3+ weeks of school! We have been enjoying a cross-curricular animal habitat unit and are planning to end the year with a big splash as we write our ocean creature reports! As Dory so wisely says to Nemo, we will "just keep swimming!"
Another positive note in my daily life is the pleasure I derive from reading my friend Kimberly's insightful, to-the-point, and "spot on" blog. FIRST IN MAINE was one of the first I discovered when I went searching for blogs to read and follow last summer. The content she shares almost daily is literacy-rich, deeply personal, and full of humor. Her dedication to and compassion for the children she teaches, as well as the family she loves deeply is always apparent in her writing. I am proud to be her biggest fan, and think you should be too!
As always, thanks for reading! As of yesterday, I was at 99 followers! I've come a long way baby since last November when I had 10! Woo hoo for all of you! Continue to do what's best for your students, share your story, and keep a song in your heart!
