OMG I am tired!!

It has been a long week! I have just completed my first full week of classes with at my new high school. I have to be honest - not taking to freshmen yet. They are smartasses to the enth degree. They think they know everything yet can't answer simple questions about the geography of the US let alone the state they love in. The main subject I teach right now is Geography. I truly believe these kids need to know where in the world they are and how to read a map. They seem to think they know how to get every where they ever want to be.

I have been busting my butt all week trying to stay ahead of the students. I am also teaching an Advanced Placement class that is taking a ton of time to plan. This weekend I have brought home about four books to pull information from, downloaded information from various sites, printed out 200 plus pages of information from the AP website, and still feel like I have forgotten something.

I inherited a student teacher, who, I must admit hasbeen helpful, for the most part, in making the transition smoother than it may have been. Has has also been helpful in getting me organized faster because he is slightly ANAL. He needs a road map to life I swear. He has yet to learn that at times, nt just in education, things don't go according to plan and you have to deal with the cards you have in front of you. (There is no draw pile when you are alone in a classroom.)

One of the quirkiest ideas we have come up with is our very unique bathroom pass. That's right - a toilet seat. Not the lid, just the seat. We have the classroom number on it and the students must take it with them if they need to use the bathroom. If they really have to go, the'll go, no matter what the pass looks like. It has really cut down on the amount of traffice leaving my classroom.

I have many things to accomplish this weekend - one of them is to reconect with K. She commented to me just today when I got home from work, again closer to 6pm than I prefer, that she misses me. I have been in town all week - I don't travel for work. She said - even when you are home you aren't really here. I have been thinking about work sooo much, she doesn't feel like I am giving a 100% of myself when I am here. I have to admit, that hurt because I do pride myself on puttin my family first and she gave me the wake up that I haven't been able to do that, not this week.

I have requested a day of planning - finally told that it was approved, it will be arranged for next Friday. I picked that date - all my classes will be taking tests, so I won't have to worry about them falling any farther behind than they already are.

This weekend I will plan out in moderation and spend time with my family as much as possible.