I swear I was just saying good-bye to my class of really sweet Grade 6/7 kids in June! I cannot believe the summer is all over! The writing project was rather long and arduous, but I learned an awful lot. I have written curriculum items over the years, and I have, of course, developed a lot of my own classroom stuff. But this was more structured, and drew from using the Curriculum Planner (a Ministry of Education product). It was really quite interesting. And I have never written a storyboard for a professionally done video ever before. The people I worked with were really spectacular-top drawer all the way. All in all, although it ate up a lot of my summer, I would recommend it to any teacher who needs to revitalize- get charged up-make a difference. The new technologies that are accessible to classrooms are amazing. I would LOVE to have a white board set up in my room (anyone out there willing to foot the bill????) I know that there are many people "out there" who believe that teachers have a hard job and do their best. But I also know that there are people who believe teachers have a free ride, and are being paid to do very little. Elementary teachers work hard-think about it. I don't get to school for 9:00 am and boot out the door at 3:30, nor do any of my co-workers. I bring work home just about every day, and, if I am sick, I have to write down everything I was planning to do in minute detail for someone else to do. But I am not complaining- because this is the job I chose for myself when I was about 11 years old (Annie's age!) and have been doing for 28 years. I love the job. It is exciting, invigorating, frustrating, rewarding, thankless, fun, sad, wearying, tiresome, exhausting, satisfying, challenging...what can I say-it is all things at some time of the year.
The challenge this year will be dealing with the so called "second wave" of the swine flu. It is difficult for me NOT to touch-to pat a shoulder, or shake a hand, or "high five" a kid. But apparently, touch is dangerous-both to me and to the kids. Some schools have decided to "touch elbows" as a way of showing acceptance and reward. Is your kids' school doing anything about this? I think it will be an interesting year!
This is a picture from last year, but I think it says it all. It was a quiet summer. Hello, Fall!
5 comments:
You're not kidding, where summer go? Or did it get here at all...only about a week or so of actual summer-like weather. I don't even want to mention what the sky looks like right now, let's just say fall-like.
At least the cooler weather will help Gypsy. The warm weather brings out the bitey-bugs.
I don't even think of summer as "summer" and I'm wondering where it went. I'm glad you are charged up and looking forward to the school year. Just be sure to bring the anti-bacterial hand lotion.
Gypsy sez Mommy's feets are cold...needs furries like me 'n Bear.
What summer? We hada bout 3 days of summer-ish temperature and that's it. Wahhhh
Hope your year goes well!
Post a Comment