Just like That...August Is Back!

Ready or not, the school hat is on and off we go!

But...am I ready?  Yes...finally, after completing the busiest year ever and taking more than a month to begin feeling any inkling of joy for the prepping for the next one, I am ready.

Well, not ready ready...as I still have much to organize, as I have curriculum additions and other hats to wear.  But that happy back-to-school feeling is back!

After some discussion for several years, our department will begin a "new" (new to us) section of English 11 (with intentions to offer year two next year), with a focus on business, technology, future story...all wrapped up...for those kiddos who are not aiming for college but for a more blue-color work focus (and will end up making more money than I do!).  Very excited about this...more thinking on this...just as soon as I wrap my head around this, as I am starting with just a list of standards!

The math adds up to four preps this year...have not had that load in a while.  But!  Three I have taught for several years...will just keep refining those.

I am blessed.  Because of the two pre-educator classes (Intro to Education and Education Technology), much has come to my room in the form of Cricut, laminator, plotter printer, cart of laptops...yes, blessed!  Very good time to be in education in my classroom!  

Much to do...lessons to plan, canvases to paint (more bees needed in my room!), activities to coordinate (still sponsoring two clubs)...with less than three weeks to do Day One of Year 34!

Summertime Blues

The summertime blues.  That time right after school lets out, and your brain is on go but just so tired; your body is on pause and has little get-up-and go.  The stress of inactivity is real, but no initiative remains to activate.  

This was the busiest school year ever...which a summer from before that was in first gear, every day.  Weeks would begin with my thinking how will I get everything finished...but I did.  Just not always to the perfection I would have liked.  And...my classes may have suffered?

When friends and family ask what all I am doing this summer, I reply, "As little as possible."  And I mean it.  While my goal is to deep-clean one room in my house per week, I am not sure how deep that cleaning will go, as I am determined to just rest...right here in the summertime blues.

Am I depressed?  No.  I am just tired. (Don't get me wrong...if I were to focus on that I want and do not have, yes, I could become depressed...classes to teach, positions to hold, salary increases already earned, relationships lacking...you know the unattainables; things obviously not meant to be...or maybe would be if I chose to change more?  But.  I choose to focus on what I have and know I am so blessed.  Therefore, those sort of blues have little time in this summer of rest.)  

I finished year 33.  Year 33.  A year so full of clubs and activities...four clubs and two huge events (Homecoming and Prom). Probably too much...but I sooo enjoy working on all those activities.  Sometimes, just a few times, I have just so wished for a full-time job doing all things extracurricular!  Wouldn't that be a dream job...no papers to grade!  (Better not go down that rabbit trail!)

I am going back for year 34...and I want it to be the best yet...with a few changes.  Once I have rested a bit more (probably until July 4), I will plan more, discard more, ready more, entering into a year more prepared.  Oh, the irony...to have taught 33 years and still not have it all together!  Just the cycle of education...as changes keep happening, not waiting until all are ready, not that would ever happen.

UPDATE:  Yesterday, we had a committee meeting at church...and I felt that "new" year feeling for the first time...and I am glad, for I know at some point, I have to make The Decision to enter into the next phase of life...but not ready for that yet!

Always a good sign, too, when one finds herself scrolling Amazon for a new backpack for the new year!  Always a good sign, too, when making plans with teacher friends to meet at school to plot and plan.  Always.

Soooo...here's to down time, coffee time, read time, time to renew, refresh, restart.  Yay!

Two Weeks Remaining

Does time really fly this fast?  Our quarter three will end in just two short weeks.  Already.  While I do need for time to slow as we better test prep, I do confess that I am much looking forward to this summer...and a slower summer than the one I had last year.  Tammy Time is a priority.

Teaching three preps, working with four clubs...and then life outside school!  

Would I have it any other way.  Nah.  But!  Three months to a slower summer!  

More Intentions in 2024?

This tradition of writing intentions, I began about a decade ago after reading a blog post rationalizing the word change...gives one more grace when one initially fails at a resolution.  Grace...a beautiful thing.

As I look back over last year's intentions, I appreciate that grace, for I did not accomplish nearly enough, not even #1, which was to read Gone with the Wind...but!...I did begin this quite long text!  Therefore, this one remains as an intention!  Maybe this will be the year of accomplishments!

Here's to 2024 and 24 Intentions!

1. Continue to read and finish Gone with the Wind...as I know am reading this one for a Book Club.  This is actually the third year this novel has made this list of Intentions. Going to make this one happen this year!
2. Watch Gone with the Wind...only after having completed #1.
3. Lose 52 pounds...one pound a week...OR four pounds a month.  That wording is so much friendlier...and doable...or so says my friend Andrew P.
4. More water...less sodas.  
5. Read an average of one book a week.  Hummm...see #1!  
6. Attempt to complete several book challenges and clubs.  Click here to see the list! Why this challenge?  To push myself to read books out of my comfort zone!
7. Read the Bible through...again...and complete Bible Studies (before going to the group meeting!).
8. Teach with more focus on those who want to learn, hoping to inspire those who need more interest along the way.
9. Read one professional read every two months. I receive five a year (and may or may not buy more!) through a professional membership.  Get to reading, Tammy!  
10. Find good deals on books and buy/stock them up for 2024 Christmas gifts.  (I gave books away in 2022..but none as gifts in 2023.  Hummm...need to work on this one!)
11. Give books as gifts for birthdays.  This one will take some planning, as birthdays tend to slip up on me! 
12. Send birthday and thank you cards much more diligently!  At this, I am just so bad.  Really bad. Be better, Tammy.
13. Blog...more.  Write, reflect...just write.  I start off the year much better than I end.  Why do I stop...for I really do enjoy this reflection process.
14. Finish all the quilts I currently have started or promised to others AND make more quilts for others...and for me.  Gotta work on this...as I did not complete one quilt in 2022 or 2023.  Why not? My life has become too busy. 2023 was the busiest yet.  Need to slow down. 
15. Paint.  Yes!  So much fun!
16. Put away and pick up...especially in my car and house!  
17. Focus on my One Word:  more.  For this, I did create a notebook in which to take notes on all my words, as I now have 14 such words.  Yes, I hope to focus more on all of them.
18. Continue making time for my friend groups:  Meeting of the Minds and the Wildcats.  These groups mean much to me and keep me connected with their lives.
19. Be even more involved in ALA and WRLC...two literacy groups, especially since I seemed to burn out a little...need to revive that fire!  
20. Spend quality time with the fam, especially The Man and The Daughter.  
21. Plan more gatherings here at the house for the church ladies and my Bible study group and other friend groups.
22. Create and grow even more beautiful flowers than I did last year.  Especially begonias!  They love my front porch.
23. Keep up a list of Honey-Dos for The Man, for, one, he likes staying busy, and, two, I like his creations!
24. Maintain my National Board certification.  This is my year.

2024...going to be a good year!

How about you?  Resolutions?  Intentions?  One?  24?!

What a Busy Season October Is!

Yes, 'tis true, only four seasons exist, unless you are a teacher, in particular a high school teacher, and then the seasons of October and April now are added.   Welcome to my world!

Besides teaching five sections of English 11 and two pre-educator classes, I help with four groups/clubs and Homecoming and Prom.  Some say I am busy.  I say I am happy...just always playing on the job.  Maybe I am just blessed?

This year, our Homecoming fell the last week of September, resulting in the October Season extending even longer.  Add in Fall Break, grades due, (and make up work...ugh...my least favorite aspect of teaching), Red Ribbon Week, and...

Did I mention this is our 75th birthday at our school...so shall we add that celebration to the busyness of this year?

I am most excited about a new group we are kicking off...yes, Southerner Sidekick, a Big Brother/Sister sort of group, where we match a high school student with an elementary or middle school kiddo with the sole intent of even more ensuring academic success.  This week, we are finally to the match-up phase.  Excited I am about this endeavor.

Today, November begins...and, yes, I breathe a bit of sigh of relief that the season of October has now eased on by...or blurred on by?!  And...the temps in Arkansas have cooled right down to freezing (no in-between for us!), so we are feeling fall and loving it!

Oh...shall we end of October's Good Reads?  My current young adult read is The Inheritance Games, which I need to finish so I may pass on to some of my more avid  teen readers.  Yes, I like...and recommend to you!

Please share your current favorite read!

Between a Rock and a Hard Spot

If you should have heard that writers should stay away from cliches, then, (oooops) I hope you skipped the title of this post!

Having completed three weeks...or 13 days (of 163) of school, we are off to an amazing start.  I suppose.  Already, though, my "hard" reputation precedes me, no matter how much easier I become each year, no longer giving homework (or so rarely as to not even count), deleting assignments (not that students are always aware of this), and implementing more "games" and activities, which is a really good decision, regardless of my reasons.

This is one of the differences in kids these days, as my students from my first 28 years, while thinking this, would not have said it to my face.  I would say that, for the most part, young adults do not see themselves as rude, though; they simply say what they think, whether the words should be uttered or not.

Let's face it:  two people's definitions of a word may just differ, as is the case with the word hard, for students would definitely consider a teacher who "works" her students bell to bell would be hard and, yes, to some, such teachers are even "mean."  Nevermind, in that teacher's brain, she is simply doing her job...yes, you know what she is paid to do.  Oh!

You see, based on my 32 years of teaching, I have come to the conclusion that three types of teachers exist.

1. Teachers who love kids...and like teaching.
2. Teachers who love teaching....and like kids...or even love kids...but they love teaching more.
3. Teachers who love kids and teaching.
4. Teachers who do not even like teaching...they love the paycheck...or coaching.  I would hope that this teacher, also, falls in category 1.

I know a lot of 1s and 4s.  A lot.

I know a few 3s.  These are probably the most rare...or, at least, in my experience.  In this day and age, in our current society, they are the blessed ones.

My current problem?  I am a 2. I love teaching.  I can teach anything.  Yes, anything.  I just need enough time to learn the topic, and I can teach the material.  To any age group.  This is just what I was born to do.

My current problem?  Twos are the least-liked teachers and are considered "hard," if not "mean."  

I am tired of these words.  They hurt, even when coming from kids whose brains are not developed, who cannot even understand why a 2 is a 2.

So.  Therefore.  Yes.

Last year, about Spring Break, I began a transition.  I know I cannot be a one, but I do want to be a three.  So how is this going for me?  Not sure, for after that kiddo stopped by during lunch to tell me what his friends had said about my class last year...and that, so far, he just did not think I was a hard teacher, well, I had to set a moment and process.  I have given no homework this year, and nearly 100% of my students still have a 100%.  

Then, this happened.  

Twice, in one week, two graduates returned and thanked me for teaching them as I did when they were juniors (not seniors...juniors), for their professors know Mrs. Gillmore and know her students will do just fine in Comp 101.  I had to stand and process that, too.  I know how to get kids ready for college and to take the ACT.  

I want to be a 2...for that is who I am.  In my district, though, I need to be a 1.  I think I would have to retire to truly be a 1.  Therefore, I am working more diligently to be that 3.

For instance, I have been planning Grammar Time and a lesson on parallel structure.  Tomorrow, we will play Kahoots and, what I hope, is a game that visually creates sentences with parallel structure.  Yes, I think they will enjoy the class...and I will, also.  For this, they will receive a nice, healthy grade.  (Let's save grade inflation for another day/topic, shall we?)

Will I teach as much as I did the first 28 years?  No.   Therein, remains the rock and that hard place.

Will my students (did I mention I do not have the advanced kids?) still be more than ready for college English having had my class as juniors.  Not sure.  Maybe not?  Therein, lies that uncomfortable spot between that rock and that hard spot.  But, is teaching to that level really fair when so many of mine will not attend college?  No.  Probably not.

Isn't life interesting?  This year, I began year 33 and still do not have all the answers!

Quiet an Achievement!

How do you have a quiet yet quite competitive class you ask?

Have the students work on their nonverbal skills and build the tallest tower…all while the timer counts down the time. Then…have two tables join their towers together…shhhhh, no talking! Very interesting!

As part of English 11, students, also, receive oral communications credit. This means that more deliberate skills are embedded within the class. No better time than to begin than on the fourth day of school!

Don't kids just love a competition? Just total engagement!

And…as a whole-class presentation, we shared our future stories. See the last pic for my sample! I do have plans...for one day!...as retirement begins to approach.

Last Wednesday, I began year 33. As ready as I was not (what an incredible busy summer), I was still excited to return and begin again. I will know...one day...when that last year will begin, but until then, here we are to have fun, learn along the way, and better prepare these students for their future stories...and for mine! Maybe...just maybe, I will one day have a booth in one of those cutesy antiquish, booth-filled stores. Maybe!

#CommunicatingTheyAre

#BoughtMoreBlocksToday!

#CrashNotAGoodSound

#FutureStoryMoreFunAhead!