When its over...

its time to teach again....

Its is the last day of Spring Break '09 and I can honestly say I spent the majority of my break just doing things here at the house. I did do some school related things, but honestly I spent a good chunk of it doing, well, not much.

I did do some work around the dining room, that was the extent of the "spring cleaning." However, our dining room does have less items in it and I was able to actually throw some things out that had been needing to hit the trash bin for awhile and I just hadn't done it. (ie I am under motivated to clean.)

Today my focus is split in two. Need to finish up the dining room and then finish prepping for this week's lesson plans. I am somewhat excited about this coming week because I get to begin teaching what I love to teach most - US History. Its only for 5 weeks, but they are my 5 weeks, and I will enjoy, at least I hope, every day of it.

I am assuming that if I am going to get a walk through of my classroom it will be coming in the next few weeks. I have only had someone in my room once this year and it wasn't the individual who would evaluate me.

There are a few things around my classroom I know I need to finish up too. I had actually begun cleaning it up and out before leaving on the break. I need to finishing putting primer on that back wall to cover the maps so I can have a good coat of paint up there soon.

K and I have semi-finalized our plans to go to Austin for the big job fair. The biggest obstacle is/was having someone watch the kids the one night we will be gone who can get Nate to and from school the full day we are going to be up there. That is no longer an obstacle. We have acouple of good friends and one has graciously volunteered to stay with them. She has stayed with the before nad the kids like her, so its cool. We'll leave food and gas money and they are all set. We have our reservations at a hotel close to the site and K has already begun looking for an outfit to wear. She has class the night we need to travel up so we will head out as soon as she gets home from class. We will be up there less than 24 hours this time around.

It is going to be a busy day, but a productive one.

Spring Cleaning

I have started cleaning things out. Do you realize how hard that is for a teacher? I mean really. What if I need one of these books again? What if I need some of these resources? It is hard to ge them at times and now I am going to throw them out. Do not ask me when the last time I used them. I don't know. Ok - the government stuff was 2 years ago, the econ stuff 2 years ago because I really didn't use it last year. The US History stuff.... well its been 3 years now, but I really want to get back to teaching that again and.... well ok I am an educational pack rat. There I admit it.

I AM AN EDUCATIONAL PACK RAT!

First step in the process of making it better right? Some of this stuff I know I can get rid of if I have it on CD. Then I can just reprint when/if I need it. So here I am looking at the mess I have made in order to clean and am wondering.... what the hell did I do? Am I nuts thinking i am really going to be able to clean all this up?

I am also thinking how much of a pain in the butt it will be to pack this stuff up and move it if we really are offered jobs in Austin. That is scary.

So I clean, I trash, I cringe as I throw things away reminding myself I haven't used it, I won't use it, I can replace it if/when I may ever need it.

As my students say to me.... wooo saw miss woo saw. (what the hell good it is suppose to be, I am unclear.)