Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Part III
Here I sit on a Tuesday morning - the week was started with great hopes and a solid paper plan. It has been turned on its head; and I am surprised! There are too many plates in the air! I must find a way to say, "No, thank you." with kindness and openness. It really feels as if I am doing nothing well, only trying to reach completion. I totally dislike the feeling of not doing my best. How do I cull my involvements! Just ranting - not comfortable yet with the pattern of moving from Google Reader to blogspot and I just need more time. I would be lost without the support and advice of my colleagues.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
21 September 2008
Part II!! And quite a month it has been, too. I cannot remember a bumpier start to an academic year than we have had this year. Not sure why all the pieces seem so reluctant to blend together. There are new students, always a given in schools! - there are new teachers, which means new support for the technology that might be different from the previous school - there are new staff who need instruction in the procedures of Ramsey IFAC, so very much to do and so very little time! This year just feels tighter than I remember in the past.
The great news is that I have had three excellent books suggested to me and I am devouring them whole; Proust and the Squid was recommended by a colleague in the district and a MILI instructor, Jean Doolittle. The book expands my awareness of the process of reading and how it is strengthened and refined over time, fascinating! I think before I really thought that reading was a single goal, something I just did. This book shows me how the skill of reading expands with repetition! NPR reviewed a curiosity titled Traffic and it caught my ear. Challenging to think that we have similar situations to the streets of Greece and Rome - perhaps not very much has changed! And finally, the joy of my reading has been Ann Perry. I am not sure how I have missed her writing before but she surely fits my temperment right now! I am astounded at how much I am understanding about my grandmother through Ms. Perry's protagonist, Charlotte Pitt and the socialization of her time. Nice to know I am not through learning!
Reading is my passion and my grandchildren are my delight! Heaven's reward (or good karma) for living well. We are spending this glorious fall day together catching up on what we have each been doing in school for the past week. May you each enjoy a day of warm sunshine and happy hugs.
The great news is that I have had three excellent books suggested to me and I am devouring them whole; Proust and the Squid was recommended by a colleague in the district and a MILI instructor, Jean Doolittle. The book expands my awareness of the process of reading and how it is strengthened and refined over time, fascinating! I think before I really thought that reading was a single goal, something I just did. This book shows me how the skill of reading expands with repetition! NPR reviewed a curiosity titled Traffic and it caught my ear. Challenging to think that we have similar situations to the streets of Greece and Rome - perhaps not very much has changed! And finally, the joy of my reading has been Ann Perry. I am not sure how I have missed her writing before but she surely fits my temperment right now! I am astounded at how much I am understanding about my grandmother through Ms. Perry's protagonist, Charlotte Pitt and the socialization of her time. Nice to know I am not through learning!
Reading is my passion and my grandchildren are my delight! Heaven's reward (or good karma) for living well. We are spending this glorious fall day together catching up on what we have each been doing in school for the past week. May you each enjoy a day of warm sunshine and happy hugs.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The beginning of a new school year
The dreams in August tell me that school is just around the corner. When I start to dream about colleagues then I know that it is time to turn my mindset to thoughts of school! And it is a regular as clockwork; a colleague, in the beginning of my teaching career, told me that such dreams would happen and he is right on the money - here comes September, here come the dreams!
The faculty and staff started back last week. Some of us have shown up over the summer for various reasons but last week is the formal beginning of the academic year.
This is my fourth year at Ramsey and I was delighted to see remembered colleagues and to meet the new staff. Monday was devoted to school business and to organizing from summer school and trying to see if we could get as much of the technology each teacher needed as close as possible to where he or she might need it!
My "techie" from past years has been deployed within a matter of almost days (he was gone within three weeks!). Fortunately I had no idea of how much I would miss him both professionally and personally. His replacement is a complete jewel, we are very fortunate to have him. He is all that you would ask of a new hire and then some so we are very lucky in that regard! One of the fall-outs from having my friend gone is that I am much more aware of others in their desert fatigues and I do not hesitate for an instant to express my gratitude to each and every one of them - I did not do that before.
I expect to be at school tomorrow morning around 6:30 - it's an early start but I doubt I will sleep well tonight; I wonder if the students know I am as anxious to start the new year as they might be?
The faculty and staff started back last week. Some of us have shown up over the summer for various reasons but last week is the formal beginning of the academic year.
This is my fourth year at Ramsey and I was delighted to see remembered colleagues and to meet the new staff. Monday was devoted to school business and to organizing from summer school and trying to see if we could get as much of the technology each teacher needed as close as possible to where he or she might need it!
My "techie" from past years has been deployed within a matter of almost days (he was gone within three weeks!). Fortunately I had no idea of how much I would miss him both professionally and personally. His replacement is a complete jewel, we are very fortunate to have him. He is all that you would ask of a new hire and then some so we are very lucky in that regard! One of the fall-outs from having my friend gone is that I am much more aware of others in their desert fatigues and I do not hesitate for an instant to express my gratitude to each and every one of them - I did not do that before.
I expect to be at school tomorrow morning around 6:30 - it's an early start but I doubt I will sleep well tonight; I wonder if the students know I am as anxious to start the new year as they might be?
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