Well, so much for every Sunday! A late blog post, not a great start to my diary of the year.
I have been incredibly busy the last few weeks. My son started kindergarten, my youngest is reacting to that, my sister is getting married this coming weekend (and I am in the bridal party), it's the beginning of the school year, and I had a mess to clean up at work. This has been a very busy September! My workload is large enough without extra stuff going on, but, as they say, "c'est la vie!"
At any rate: my workload this year is going to be interesting! I teach a combined 4/5 class language arts and social studies, with rotating curriculum for social. I teach 9 classes their music curriculum, in addition to teaching the junior high band class. I will teach more music this year than I've ever taught before (which is awesome!) and I will not have new curriculum to learn to teach my classes (for once!). I am very pumped about that. I have many things I'd like to change in my teaching for this year, and, hopefully, no new curriculum will help with that.
I am mostly responsible for many things at my school, such as our Remembrance Day assembly, our Christmas concert, coordinating our students and school's participation in our division's arts festival, that sort of thing. They are big tasks, and in addition to those things, I have it in my stupid head to add a spring musical to that...
As I am swamped, this is where I will sign off for now. As I mentioned, my sister is getting married this coming weekend and I have many ducks to get in a row before then.
Next time: Changes in my practices for this year.
TTFN,
TM
Sunday 20 September 2015
Wednesday 9 September 2015
No Tired Like "Beginning of the Year" Tired
Darn! More than a week! I promise, I'm working on it. I have thought about posting since Sunday evening, but, man, I got lost in working. And visiting. And playing. And sleeping.
I left off last with a bit about me. If you are reading, and would like to share a bit about you, I would love to hear about people out there. Those that share in the travels of others are always better for it, and I would love to be better for hearing about your travels.
This year, as I said in my last post, I would be teaching a combined 4/5 class language arts and social studies, as well as a ton of music classes. I am a music person, and trying to revitalize my own music teaching so this is a big undertaking. A year of firsts: first time teaching a combined grade in multiple subjects, first time teaching a combined grade homeroom, first time teaching grade four students, first time I got to stay in the same classroom, first time that I was the one completely put out by school repairs...
Yup, the music room had a bit of a leak. Not enormous, but certainly big enough to cause a lot of trouble. I came in on an early Saturday morning, the first weekend in July, to clean up. You know, like many teachers, I usually spend a few days after the school year concludes, tidying up, filing, finishing files up, reorganizing. Well, I saved it for a Saturday morning and there was water all over a storage room at the back. Three practice rooms are adjacent to that storage room and were soaked. The carpet in the music room was wet about ten feet into the room. A small area overall, but enough to have to rip out the carpet.
All in all, it was a big mess! Practice rooms gutted and rebuilt from scratch, a storage room refinished, new carpet, new baseboard, and some new paint. And a headache! It was awful! My stuff was all hauled out into the hallway of our school, the room didn't come together until three days before school started, and I'm still waiting on some reimbursement for the personal items lost to water damage. Movers came to move my items, shelves, etc. all back into the music room two days before school started, the company's cleaning lady came the day before school started and there is still stuff everywhere! I am an OCD teacher when it comes to everything in its place, so the items taking up space on my tables, my desk, my shelves, that aren't yet put away are driving me crazy!
But I am not complaining. Stating facts. At least I have a room to go back into, it was tidy enough to have students come into it on the first day of school, September 1.
I am excited for this year. If I'm going to be honest, it's probably the first time I've been excited to teach what I'm teaching in a few years. My boys are old enough and practiced enough in going to a dayhome that it isn't like pulling teeth to get them into her house. My husband and I are in a bit of a groove and have a pretty good system worked out so far. And my oldest son started kindergarten yesterday!
Yesterday was an exciting day at our house. My oldest son has been asking about kindergarten for months. Like since he turned four in June a year ago. He is so excited to come to school and be a part of a class, to have friends his own age, and to be a kid. He is a mature five, if there is such a thing. He speaks well, has a vast amount of knowledge, and soaks up more information that I thought would be possible. He was so ready for school, so eager to learn. He gets to go back tomorrow and can hardly sleep, so excited to see what will happen. I hope it is an enthusiasm that he will carry for a long time, but I also hope that he goes to sleep soon! :)
We are in our second week of school now. I have a great class, great colleagues, and a great excitement for this year.
Next week, hopefully, I get in some details about the workload this year.
And since you've read this, and might be commenting on who you are, tell me what you'd like to read about and I will definitely see what I can do!
Regards.
TM
I left off last with a bit about me. If you are reading, and would like to share a bit about you, I would love to hear about people out there. Those that share in the travels of others are always better for it, and I would love to be better for hearing about your travels.
This year, as I said in my last post, I would be teaching a combined 4/5 class language arts and social studies, as well as a ton of music classes. I am a music person, and trying to revitalize my own music teaching so this is a big undertaking. A year of firsts: first time teaching a combined grade in multiple subjects, first time teaching a combined grade homeroom, first time teaching grade four students, first time I got to stay in the same classroom, first time that I was the one completely put out by school repairs...
Yup, the music room had a bit of a leak. Not enormous, but certainly big enough to cause a lot of trouble. I came in on an early Saturday morning, the first weekend in July, to clean up. You know, like many teachers, I usually spend a few days after the school year concludes, tidying up, filing, finishing files up, reorganizing. Well, I saved it for a Saturday morning and there was water all over a storage room at the back. Three practice rooms are adjacent to that storage room and were soaked. The carpet in the music room was wet about ten feet into the room. A small area overall, but enough to have to rip out the carpet.
All in all, it was a big mess! Practice rooms gutted and rebuilt from scratch, a storage room refinished, new carpet, new baseboard, and some new paint. And a headache! It was awful! My stuff was all hauled out into the hallway of our school, the room didn't come together until three days before school started, and I'm still waiting on some reimbursement for the personal items lost to water damage. Movers came to move my items, shelves, etc. all back into the music room two days before school started, the company's cleaning lady came the day before school started and there is still stuff everywhere! I am an OCD teacher when it comes to everything in its place, so the items taking up space on my tables, my desk, my shelves, that aren't yet put away are driving me crazy!
But I am not complaining. Stating facts. At least I have a room to go back into, it was tidy enough to have students come into it on the first day of school, September 1.
I am excited for this year. If I'm going to be honest, it's probably the first time I've been excited to teach what I'm teaching in a few years. My boys are old enough and practiced enough in going to a dayhome that it isn't like pulling teeth to get them into her house. My husband and I are in a bit of a groove and have a pretty good system worked out so far. And my oldest son started kindergarten yesterday!
Yesterday was an exciting day at our house. My oldest son has been asking about kindergarten for months. Like since he turned four in June a year ago. He is so excited to come to school and be a part of a class, to have friends his own age, and to be a kid. He is a mature five, if there is such a thing. He speaks well, has a vast amount of knowledge, and soaks up more information that I thought would be possible. He was so ready for school, so eager to learn. He gets to go back tomorrow and can hardly sleep, so excited to see what will happen. I hope it is an enthusiasm that he will carry for a long time, but I also hope that he goes to sleep soon! :)
We are in our second week of school now. I have a great class, great colleagues, and a great excitement for this year.
Next week, hopefully, I get in some details about the workload this year.
And since you've read this, and might be commenting on who you are, tell me what you'd like to read about and I will definitely see what I can do!
Regards.
TM
Saturday 29 August 2015
An introduction to me for those who do find my little blog:
I am entering my ninth year of teaching. I cannot believe that. Nine years. A common saying: time has flown. It has, though. It has flown. I moved here right out of university accepting my first job teaching Math 7 and 9, and Music K, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Junior High Band 7 and 8/9 in rural Alberta. My boyfriend (and later husband) and I moved here thinking we would live here two or three years. Long enough to get some experience and then move back to central Alberta. Now it has been a decade.
I have been with two schools over the last decade. At my first school, where I was originally hired, I had a very stable teaching assignment. I taught junior high math and the music program. I had few variances to that, but was crazy involved in my school and its community. I worked on countless committees, coached school sports, played in local sports leagues, and every aspect of my life revolved around my job.
I got married in June 2008 and had my first son in June 2010. I was lucky. I had a fantastic 14 months with my son and then returned to work. At a new school, forcefully transferred. I was crushed. I lived and breathed that first school for six years, had gotten into a groove, built report with students and their families, had a plan, felt comfortable. And then I was transferred to another school in my district. To teach a whole different batch of subjects, with far less stability, all whilst having a toddler to care for after school hours.
I started at my new school, assigned to teach language arts and math to grade three students, in addition to the music program, as well as resurrect a band program. I worked hard, no matter my personal feelings of the transfer. I was promised to teach grade four LA and Math before school let out for the summer. I was pleased; I would get many of the same students I had in grade three. I was pleased with my teaching partner. I was pleased to be going upwards in grade level. As well, I was pregnant.
My second year at the school would be a partial year. I would be there until Christmas and then go on my second maternity leave. A week into the school year, I was told I would be moved to teach LA and Math to grade one students instead. Again, I was crushed, and hormonal, and irrational, and then rational again. I worked hard, no matter my personal feelings on the grade level change.
I left at Christmas, having my second son in early January 2013. I again had a full 12 months off for maternity leave. I had another fantastic time, this time home with my newborn and my two and a half year old son. I had a great year with my boys, seeing how fast my toddler was learning and how he adapted to being a big brother was amazing. I did not want to go back to work. I wanted to stay home with my boys and enjoy their early years. However, as with many people, that was just not really feasible, and I am a school-a-holic, so I returned to work in January of 2014. Oh, and I returned to grade five LA and Math. Yup, another grade level change.
This past year I again had another change. I would teach grade five LA, but not Math. I taught Social Studies instead, as well adding Health 5, Health 8/9, and a Current Events elective as well. These were all courses I enjoyed (well, maybe not health...), but four new curriculums. A new classroom space again, and I have a pre-schooler and a toddler to take up my non-school time. Oy!
Friends, I have a great year to look ahead to. I have a grade 4/5 combined class this year, 20 students total, teaching LA and SS, and the rest of my teaching assignment is music and band classes. No new curriculum! I got to stay in the same classroom space! All good things! While the summer got off to a rocky start, school-wise, I had a great summer personally, and now look forward to a new school year!
This blog is meant as more of a diary of sorts. If you are reading this, I am thankful to have someone to go on this year's journey with me. I hope to write weekly, celebrating successes and commiserating in failures, sharing personal and professional bits of the goings-on in my life.
So good luck to you in your upcoming year and let's look ahead to a great year!
Students start on Tuesday. I prepare and plan for them. A mantra.
TTFN,
TM
I am entering my ninth year of teaching. I cannot believe that. Nine years. A common saying: time has flown. It has, though. It has flown. I moved here right out of university accepting my first job teaching Math 7 and 9, and Music K, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Junior High Band 7 and 8/9 in rural Alberta. My boyfriend (and later husband) and I moved here thinking we would live here two or three years. Long enough to get some experience and then move back to central Alberta. Now it has been a decade.
I have been with two schools over the last decade. At my first school, where I was originally hired, I had a very stable teaching assignment. I taught junior high math and the music program. I had few variances to that, but was crazy involved in my school and its community. I worked on countless committees, coached school sports, played in local sports leagues, and every aspect of my life revolved around my job.
I got married in June 2008 and had my first son in June 2010. I was lucky. I had a fantastic 14 months with my son and then returned to work. At a new school, forcefully transferred. I was crushed. I lived and breathed that first school for six years, had gotten into a groove, built report with students and their families, had a plan, felt comfortable. And then I was transferred to another school in my district. To teach a whole different batch of subjects, with far less stability, all whilst having a toddler to care for after school hours.
I started at my new school, assigned to teach language arts and math to grade three students, in addition to the music program, as well as resurrect a band program. I worked hard, no matter my personal feelings of the transfer. I was promised to teach grade four LA and Math before school let out for the summer. I was pleased; I would get many of the same students I had in grade three. I was pleased with my teaching partner. I was pleased to be going upwards in grade level. As well, I was pregnant.
My second year at the school would be a partial year. I would be there until Christmas and then go on my second maternity leave. A week into the school year, I was told I would be moved to teach LA and Math to grade one students instead. Again, I was crushed, and hormonal, and irrational, and then rational again. I worked hard, no matter my personal feelings on the grade level change.
I left at Christmas, having my second son in early January 2013. I again had a full 12 months off for maternity leave. I had another fantastic time, this time home with my newborn and my two and a half year old son. I had a great year with my boys, seeing how fast my toddler was learning and how he adapted to being a big brother was amazing. I did not want to go back to work. I wanted to stay home with my boys and enjoy their early years. However, as with many people, that was just not really feasible, and I am a school-a-holic, so I returned to work in January of 2014. Oh, and I returned to grade five LA and Math. Yup, another grade level change.
This past year I again had another change. I would teach grade five LA, but not Math. I taught Social Studies instead, as well adding Health 5, Health 8/9, and a Current Events elective as well. These were all courses I enjoyed (well, maybe not health...), but four new curriculums. A new classroom space again, and I have a pre-schooler and a toddler to take up my non-school time. Oy!
Friends, I have a great year to look ahead to. I have a grade 4/5 combined class this year, 20 students total, teaching LA and SS, and the rest of my teaching assignment is music and band classes. No new curriculum! I got to stay in the same classroom space! All good things! While the summer got off to a rocky start, school-wise, I had a great summer personally, and now look forward to a new school year!
This blog is meant as more of a diary of sorts. If you are reading this, I am thankful to have someone to go on this year's journey with me. I hope to write weekly, celebrating successes and commiserating in failures, sharing personal and professional bits of the goings-on in my life.
So good luck to you in your upcoming year and let's look ahead to a great year!
Students start on Tuesday. I prepare and plan for them. A mantra.
TTFN,
TM
Sunday 23 August 2015
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