In Texas, we are still experiencing staffing shortages, which means I have more students (and therefore more grading, more documenting, more copies, etc.) than normal. I know that I will have a trying year. I am hopeful, however, because we have some changes in administration that I know will be positive ones.
My baby girl (I swear she was only 3 yesterday) is entering the third grade. Not sure about the rest of the nation, but here, third grade is the first year of state "high stakes" testing. She is a smart girl, and I am sure she will do well, but all the fun is sucked out of education when teachers have to worry about testing. So I am a little apprehensive about what third grade will bring.
Just like when I was a student, I like the idea of starting fresh. I loved how my new binders and folders were organized at the beginning of the year (though they were a mess by the second week). I loved the idea of hanging up my outfits for the week (and by the end of the week they were on the floor of the closet). As an adult I still enjoy the idea of a clean slate in August. I've had so much fun shopping for school clothes, so I really am excited to try them all out.
I feel blessed to work in a job that allows us to start fresh each year. If I get tired of teaching Algebra, I can move to Algebra II. If I'm in a rut with 8th graders, I can switch to 10th. Even if I stay with the same grade level and subject, I have a chance to try new things with the new year.
I am not one to make resolutions in January. I'm Episcopalian, so we celebrate Lent, and that is 40 days of giving something up. That's all the change I need! But each August, I can't help but consider what I want to do differently this year. Here's a smattering of what I want to change for this year:
- MORE SLEEP!! I am prettier, happier, healthier, and less cranky when I get more sleep. I've got to do better with getting in bed early this year.
- Make dinner time better. My daughter and I, though only a family of two, always sit down and eat dinner together at the table. This summer, though, she expressed interest in learning to cook. Things can get crazy during the school year, so time spent together can be minimal. This year, I want to spend time together cooking. When we have a crazy evening (dance, tutoring, etc) I want to plan ahead and do more crockpot meals. Got a good crockpot recipe? Send it my way!
- Stress less. I am pretty sure that if the people I work with, my family, or friends read that they would roll their eyes! In fact, I've already started allowing a last minute change to the bell schedule to bother me. I'm trying to give it up to Jesus and trust that something positive will come out of this.
- Be better organized in my home life. At school, I must be structured. I teach high school math. Can you imagine how little learning there would be if I wasn't structured?? I am very organized in my job, but in real life, I am so not that way! So, I'm going to try to stay better on top of laundry, cleaning, etc. I feel better and function better when the house is clean!
Good luck to all of you who are teachers heading back to school soon. I hope that you have a smooth start to the school year!
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