Relax & Reteach

3 Day Weekends:  a tricky thing.
The pros:  putting my school work off until the last possible second, an extra night's sleep, actually getting to do something fun on the weekends (it's amazing what that extra day can do for you!)
The cons: CRAZY kids when we come back.  Man oh man, you'd think they had a 100 day weekend with they way they always seem to have forgotten how to function as a student.

Anyways, as wonderful as the weekend was (especially a night out with my best friend, catching up on family time with my brother, making it to the gym for the first time in a long time, and getting my snazzy new phone), the kids were NOT GOOD yesterday.  Yikes.

Today, though, I gave them a stern reminder of the rules (like Mrs. Mentor Teacher tells me: "there's a new sheriff in town, kids!") and we spent a good chunk of recess practicing routines like lining up in the hallway, raising hands, and what we do after lunch.  Believe it or not, they needed a little more practice later and we missed 5 minutes of PE practicing the same thing.  By know, though, I know with 100% certainty that a little reteaching now beats a lot of headache later.  Practice makes perfect after all ;)  (Mrs. J: I know we are both laughing right now about our dear little friend W...)

On another note, I had my LAST observation for the year last Thursday.  My principal came in to observe one of my guided reading groups, and it went great!  After he came in last time, I took some of his suggestions and worked them into my guided reading routine, and I felt really confident about the way everything went.  We met for a post-observation meeting yesterday and he had nothing but positive feedback, which was amazing to hear.  He also said that I have nothing to worry about for next year; that I'm definitely safe (aka I have a job), and if anything changes in the staffing plan or with budget cuts, he said he will "fight for me."  Wow, what a relief!!!!!  I can't believe that after being so ambivalent about accepting this job 10 months ago this place has come to feel like home.  I'm sure that many of my coworkers who have seen my frantic at the copier or crying in my classroom (or various other places in the school...) probably think I would leave here at the first opportunity, but really, that's not true at all. I love teaching, and I love teaching here, both in spite of and because of all the extra challenges and trials that come with the territory.  And while I don't yet know if I will be in the same grade or with the same team (what a miracle that would be), I am, tonight, grateful that I can breathe a small sigh of relief knowing that I may not have to live with my parents forever. :)

(though for now, I really am enjoying my parents' cooking for me, buying groceries, and various other wonderful things.  hmm...how much longer can I milk this before they realize how good I have it??)