Also...

Brian and I get married in 400 days. Because...you know...that's a useful bit of trivia.

Clearly, I have not made a lot of progress on my paper. But I promise to buckle down and write during the basketball game tonight. Honest.

This is random, but...

It really bothers me when teachers ask students to do work for them. I don't know why. I don't think the kids care. In fact, I'm sure that many of the students are glad to be helpers. Still, something about making students file papers, grade tests, assemble packets, etc doesn't sit right with me. Especially if it is a teacher who I know spends a good portion of the day on Gchat or some such thing.

Also, my friend Keith mentioned to me on FB yesterday that his "teacher tank" was running on empty. Mine too. I am so exhausted this week and so ready for the kids to go home. Everything seems a little louder, a little more offensive, a little less amusing than it did a week ago. And that makes me anxious because we are at work until the last Friday in June and then I have one week off (during which my parents are visiting) before I start summer school. ::sigh::

At least we have a fun trip to Philly planned for this weekend. That will be a nice break. Provided, of course, I finish this week's grad school paper before we leave. Which probably means I should stop wasting time here.

An update and more goals

Last Friday, I was pretty productive. While I did not get started on my paper, I did accomplish everything else on the list and I put together this year's summer assignment for AP Government (100 terms to define, a US Constitution scavenger hunt, and a guided reading of John Locke's 2nd Treatise (excerpted)). It made for a better weekend, although I was lazy Sunday morning and instead of writing my paper before we went to lunch with Brian's family, I waited until almost 8:30pm to start that work. Needless to say, it was a long night for me, but all my own doing.

Today, my to do is shorter, but still substantial. I need to:

• grade the five Economics assignments that I have been carrying around for 2 week
• update my Economics' gradebook
• review the final exams for the five Social Studies exams to be given next week
• teach my Economics class (day 1 of review)
• go to the academic leadership team meeting
• stop at Target
• bake 50-100 snickerdoodles for tomorrow's 8th grade cookout

I want to end today with a birthday shout out. My best friend Maggie is welcoming the start of another year today and she deserves all of the attention and love that she will hopefully receive. Happy birthday, Maggie! I hope today - and the year that follows - is everything you are hoping for and more!

Goal setting

Last Friday I managed to waste away most of my free time during the work day and that cannot happen again this week. I decided to make my to-do list semipublic (since I don't know who might actually read this today), so as to increase my sense of urgency. Plus,it gives me a better idea of what to do and in what order.

Today, (outside of teaching class) I would like to:

• write lesson plans for next week (my final set of plans for the school year!)
• meet with Bill to discuss his course schedule for next year
• file my lessons from this week
• respond to two posts on my grad class discussion board
• create the writing assignment on which this week's grad school paper is based

Here's hoping I can get this all done!

My new hobby

In the last year or so, I have gotten really into baking. It's a natural fit for me...I love food, I don't have the creativity needed to be a good cook, and I don't have the patience to futz with a meal for extended periods of time. Baking, then, is perfect for me. Sometimes I make more complicated things, and one day I'll have the time to dive into the great baking cookbooks I've been gifted, but usually it's something quick and easy for Brian and I to enjoy. Tonight, I made a really simple blackberry crostata with fresh whipped cream and thought I'd share.

Crostata is just a rustic tart and when you use frozen puff pastry from the store it is even easier than ever. I just tossed blackberries with flour and sugar, piled them onto the center of the puff pastry (which I had defrosted, rolled out, and placed on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper), folded the edges of pastry over the fruit, brushed the top of the pastry with milk, sprinkled it with sugar, and baked it for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. After the crostata was done, I made the whipped cream (chill a mixing bowl and beaters, then beat whipping cream with a little vanilla and confectioner's sugar until desired consistency is met). The result is below.

And, this is a slice plated with the whipped cream.

Delicious! Give it a try with whatever fruit is fresh/on sale this weekend (that's how we ended up with blackberries).

Awww...it's nice to be appreciated.

I arrived at work this morning to find a dozen hot pink roses and a card from my vice principal on my desk. She wanted to thank me for my hard work with the AP program and for generally being a team player (because I did work hard and I do play nice).

Then, as I was working on my lesson plans for next week (yes, I do still have some students), three of my seniors came in bearing a plate full of goodies from their farewell breakfast and offered some thanks of their own.

This job can be very difficult, but it is mornings like these that keep me going. It is also mornings like these that remind me that everyone needs to be recognized and honored for their efforts. No matter how small the gesture, we all appreciate being appreciated.

Now, I am off to recognize and honor my seniors at their transition ceremony. I really cannot believe that another year has passed, but within the next three hours, the class of 2009 will no longer reside on campus and the class of 2010 will have moved up to take their place. Such is the cyclical nature of schools.

Have a wonderful weekend, all.

Tenth grade's gonna make me lose my mind

My roommate is the tenth grade world history teacher and so I get the opportunity to observe her students in class every day. It makes me want to scream most days and every day is a struggle to keep my face in check. Here is a good example of what I'm talking about:

Teacher is reviewing an activity with the class.
J balls up paper and throws it across room at D
Teacher says not to throw paper
D throws paper ball back at J
Teacher says that it is unacceptable to throw paper
J gets ready to throw the paper ball at D again
Teacher yells "Stop!"
J whines "Why?!"
M interjects "This is college prep - we don't throw things"
J says "I want to" and giggles hysterically

Because...you know...disrupting class and not taking school seriously is funny.

Two years from today these children will be preparing to graduate high school and enter college. I have a hard time seeing it this week. Is this what it's like in all schools? Because sometimes I can't find my perspective.

PS: The title is a song reference and now I can't get that chorus out of my head...