Any teacher can sympathize with someone who misses the first six weeks of the school year due to maternity leave. That critical impression period has come and gone, and no matter how well the substitute did with them it's just not YOUR way. For the first time, I felt like the new kid in my own classroom. Every day was a struggle, not because of the kids, but because I couldn't ever catch up. EVER. I thank God that my class was small (only 14 darlings!) and that I had the support of my family to make it through.
Then summer happened. Our two-week family vacation started the day after Teacher Work Day. No breathers! It was nice starting the summer like that, but again--crazy! When I got home I didn't want to think about school. I had household things that had been lacking attention for months that I needed to tend to and I just wanted to soak up time with my kids and hubby.
Just about the time that I felt like maybe I should go ahead and read the CAFE and Guided Math books I got to study over the summer, we went on another SURPRISE vacation to celebrate my hubby's 30th! I got a lot of reading done on that road trip, but it was no books that would help me in the classroom, that's for sure!
By the time we got back and unpacked again summer was winding down. Then I was in panic mode! I started burning up my Pinterest boards with awesome school ideas. I redid my classroom in a fabulous owl theme. I started a MASSIVE project that I had been meaning to do for years in my classroom--and then I got a great idea for my blog! It was perfect! I was passionate about it! It could help others! It...............never happened. :-(
Before I knew it I was back to school at teacher meetings, coming home and crying because I have brand new Math and Language Arts curriculums to go with the brand new Common Core State Standards and I need a whole SUMMER just to figure out what to do with them but no, I met my new huge class of babies on Monday this week. They're here and ready for me to be fabulous and I'm trying. Life happened again. I gave up on my idea. Pushed it away for another year.
But then...tonight as I was skimming Pinterest instead of mapping out my curriculum, I came across this:
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| Picture courtesy of http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com |
My great blog idea had to do with my classroom library. I have been re-inspired by this project! This is something fun I could, at the very least, do with my kids at home but probably expand it to my Firsties, too (if I can fit it into my new curriculum). It's once a month. I can handle that! If I can handle that, then MAYBE I can squeeze in a few posts that have to do with my idea!
I can do this. I CAN do this. I CAN DO THIS! I find myself thinking this almost every day now. If I keep at it, it will materialize! Wish me luck!
By the way, I'm still "new" at this, so if I didn't link something up or reference something correctly, please inform me!
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1 comments:
Jamie I am so glad to see that we've inspired you to share on your blog about the Virtual Book Club. It's been so much fun this summer with my daughter and her little sister. She's really starting to understand authors more and it's inspiring her writing more. She's in first grade this year! Can't wait to see what you share! By the way I LOVE OWLS, you're site design is adorable. I'm sure your classroom is too!
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