All is Quiet (& Crazy)

It has been a few days since I have really had a chance to get on my blog. Just thought I would give you a rundown of my week thus far.

Monday began a very insane week. My students were wild. Was there a full moon? I ended up tutoring one of my former students after school on Monday. His mother sends me emails from time to time to keep me updated and to ask for help when her son is not doing so well in math. Have I mentioned that I teach math? This mother is also one of the best gift-givers I have ever met. (For Christmas last year she had spent about $300 on my Christmas gift...and I am just a teacher. This year, when her son is not even in my class, she has sent gifts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.) When this mom came to pick up her son, she handed me a thank you card. Inside was a VISA gift card. That's right, I am going shopping soon. I told her I didn't want anything for tutoring her son. I am just glad to help. Honestly though, I will not turn down the gift card. LOL!

Anyway, after tutoring, I attended the monthly school board meeting. It lasted well over 3 hours...almost 4. There was a lot of political grandstanding, and that ticked me off beyond belief. Yes, I had to be there for the meeting. Remember, I am the president of our teachers' union for our school district. I work very closely with the  school board and director. After that meeting, I am convinced that come election time, I am working to endorse a new candidate just to help oust the board member who was grandstanding that night. He obviously is looking to be in a bigger political office soon, and I don't like him using the school board as his platform.

Monday ended up being a very long day. I left my house at 4:45 AM and did not return home until almost 10:00 PM. I hit the couch and passed out until the next morn.

The rest of this week has seen my students being absolutely crazy. I have never had a group that were this rambunctious. It has been a challenge all year. I was talking with another teacher who gets my kids during specials classes, and he was telling me how rough my kids are. I just laughed. Thus is my life.

Trying to get these kids focused is like pulling teeth, but I will forge ahead. This week has also been a big review week for the unit exam on Friday. I told my students that I will not be at school on Friday to help them with questions during the test, so they better ask now and study hard. I don't like giving tests while I am away. The kids never do as well when I am there. (No, it is not because I am giving answers. I don't answer questions during a test except to clarify a question...that's it.) I am nervous to see the results of the unit exam when I return on Monday.

In addition to my teaching duties, my union duties as president have kicked into high gear this week. I am dealing with a handful of teachers in one of our schools requesting to cancel their membership. It is not normal to have this many cancelling their membership. Something is going on at that school, and I have to play detective and peacemaker at the school. This is new territory for us, so it will be an interesting experience.

I am also now watching over three different situations happening in our school district that affect three different teachers. If anything is done against the contract or illegally, I will be on the phone to have our 4 state education attorneys make their way to our district. Everything will be done justly and in a polite and respectful manner. That is what I teach my students, and I expect nothing less from our administration.

I am being pulled in ten different directions on a daily basis...I LOVE IT!

I am heading out of town on Friday morning. I am attending a teacher leadership conference out of state over the weekend. They are paying for travel and the swanky hotel. I would be crazy not to go. Our first stop on Friday afternoon will be visiting the presidential library in the city where the conference is being held. More on that when I return.

Turns out that my weekend calendar is quickly filling up. I will be traveling out of town every weekend in February and most of March. Plus, I will be taking 5 school days off over the next two months for other obligations. It is a very busy time of year.

Will I ever find time to rest? Perhaps at the end of my life, but I don't see a slowing pace anytime soon. I am perfectly okay with that.

Hope everyone is doing well. I feel like I have just rambled on and on, so forgive me for that!

Have a great night.
- JC