Back to Reality...

 

The vacation is coming to an end for many of us. It’s time to set our alarm, lay out our clothes, pack our lunches, grab our bags, and start working again. I know as teachers many of our friends have a million comments about our 2 week vacation ( or summer vacation at that) but  I know in my life I needed it.

Before the holiday I was beginning to have that burnt out feeling. We have all been there at some point, too many unfinished projects, too many things on the to do list for school and home, and not enough time in the day. I felt like I could go to bed as soon as I got home from work. I could not do that before the holiday because, well I had to many other things to do.

Fast forward 2 weeks later. I miss my class and am itching to get back into my routine of working. Granted this past week I have spent 8+ hours a day almost working on the computer. I have been updating, creating, and cleaning out so many things using technology. It has been so rewarding to finally have time to focus on my classroom in a way that I usually dream of focusing, but find there is not enough hours in my day.

Beau the Golden was so annoyed with me being home over the holiday. He groaned anytime I would move while he was sleeping. I am sure he will be very happy next week as his routine gets back to normal. He was such a fantastic helper however. He just sat patiently with his head on my lap while I worked. Occasionally he would however drop a toy in my lap to pay attention to him. I have some very funny photos to share with the students.

You see Beau is my dog. I have had Beau since he was 10 weeks old. In a previous blog I talked about how he brought much happiness to me when I moved across the United States away from my friends and family. I always share the silly antics of Beau because not every student has the privilege of having a dog. We often do writing prompts with his many expressions. The stories the kids come up with are great. I did it once just to see and well it snowballed from there. This Christmas I did not only receive gifts from my students, but so did Beau. None of my students have actually met him in person. They have seen him in the yard as the bus goes by, but he is a little hyper so I would not want him to accidently scratch anyone. We are working on manners right now. He is learning. =).

This school year is different than the 2 I have taught previously. This year I am in a new grade level and I am planning a wedding. Sounds stressful enough? Well, I have many of the same kiddos from when I taught 2^nd grade last year, so that means many of the holiday activities I have that are not grade specific ( like my fancy ornaments) are out the window because they already did the activity. This vacation I began following many new blogs and found some really great activities and ideas that I will be implementing into my classroom. I cannot wait to share with the teacher community and with my students.

Thanks you for your support as always,

Miss Stetson