I am thankful for....
1. All 27 of my students...they are lively, have none-stop energy, all have different needs but as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are getting used to each other and really starting to produce strong reading, writing, and math work.
2. Those colleagues that have the same workshop mindset as I do. Sadly, I am not in a school where ALL teach RW and WW but a few friends in my building and others outside my building who I connect to through emails or phone calls on the way to work, keep me grounded in this important work. I do think life would be so much easier if I could find that school with more having my mindset but maybe that's just a pipe dream... maybe just an excuse that the grass is always greener...
3. Being a learner and a risk-taker, ready and willing to try new things. YES, the last 3 months have been SO hard. But it has also been the challenge that I need. YES, I wish I knew more about teaching using the workshop model but each day I get to practice and slowly am getting better. YES, I wish I had better classroom management, but once I do get their attention, I have them engaged and they are producing great work.
4. School Holidays... 4 for Thanksgiving and 16 for Winter break...and I am so looking forward to using some (not all but much of it) of this time to read ahead in the Units of Study books, time to plan out more for 3rd quarter, time to make guided reading plans and book club plans for my readers...I want to do a good job but there never seems to be enough time as I need to sleep some, too. Some may think I am crazy that I am looking forward to a break so I can do more school work! Maybe I am. But teaching is not just a hourly job thing to me. It is the profession I choose and as a professional, I value the time off as a way to further read and grow in my practice. I will have this gift of time in a few days and then in Dec! I might start to get a handle and be more than just one small step ahead of my students!
5. Saturday Reflection time - It is helping me to see both the pluses and minuses of the week and through writing, I feel I am treading watering and not drowning. I wonder if it will ever feel like smooth sailing ??!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
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