Getting to the point...I've been gone for longer than I ever intended, but life got in the way. I got cancer - twice. I changed grade levels at school, and a stray cat who turned out to be pregnant adopted me. Lucky me. Really! Lucky me.
First, I went
from teaching 6th grade to teaching 8th graders. I had actually started
my teaching career 19th years ago with 8th graders so it didn't take me
long to get back in the groove, and I had a really wonderful 8th grade
veteran teacher to help me and listen to me vent from time to time.
Without her, it would have definitely been a bad year because that was
the year I found out about the cancer.
Next, meet
Groucho. In the picture, he is about 3 months old. He is too curious
and has a little stubbie for a tail. His momma turned up in June of 2015 and
was just a sweetheart. She'd been hanging around the house for about a
week when she got bit on her paw. It started swelling up so I took her
to my vet. It got better, and then we noticed she was getting fat. She
had 7 kittens a month later. Five of them managed to find great
homes, but Groucho was mine from the minute he grew a personality. We
couldn't find a home for his brother, Snowball, so he stayed as well.
Then one Friday night, after a long week at school, I had a pain in my right side. The next morning, it was worse, so we made a trip to my local Urgent Care thinking that it couldn't be anything serious. They sent me to a nearby ER center for a cat scan, and they found a tumor on my liver. After a transfer to a hospital and a biopsy, the diagnosis was Intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma.
So there you are, almost caught up. More to come later, but yes, lucky! I'm still here.
My favorite time of the year is summer. Why? Because I'm a teacher, and I have summers off. Today as I was trying to do some things that needed to be done. I
was reminded that the new school year will be starting much too soon.
Do you remember that student in class that always raises their hand first?
The one who always knew best?
The one who always had the answer?
The one you got tired of listening to?
The one who wouldn't take no for an answer and monopolized the teacher's attention?
That's my Sassy Cat. She has to be the first one every time! She's
also the one who follows me every time I go into the bathroom. I try to
close the door, but she just sits and scratches on the door till I let
her in. It's as if she doesn't trust me in there by myself. You'd think I
had a back door and was going to escape if she didn't come in with me.
Sassy needs a lot of love being a rescue cat, but I've also had to
set boundaries just like I have to do with my students. I've had to show
Sassy that she doesn't always get to be the one first, and that she can
wait and be patient, and in return every night she knows that she will
get to sit on my lap and have one-on-one time with me.
Students also have to be shown how to be fair because students can
become outcasts in the classroom if they don't play nice. They have to
learn that taking turns is perfectly fine and you don't have to be
called on every time, and that if you're patient and appreciative of
others, that they will return the behavior.
Each year brings new challenges for the teacher, but some are
recurring ones. I usually have at least one Sassy Cat in every class.
Here's wishing all the teachers out there are getting a good rest before the new year starts!
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| My classroom wall. |
Well, another school year came to an end. It was another great year with some really interesting students, but I am so glad it is summer!
This year was one of many changes and beginnings and endings. I lost a wonderful principal, a couple of teammates, and a fantastic Academic Dean. Two beautiful friendships were realized, and I said good-bye to a classroom.
Next year will be very challenging on many levels. Edmodo and Remind101 are just two of the additions that my students will discover in my arsenal of tricks in August.
Edmodo is like a "FaceBook" for students that teachers can use with their classes for communication, but also to "assess" knowledge. Remind101 is like a texting system to use with students and parents.
My goal this summer to get myself acquainted with both of these programs and have them ready for my students and parents in August.
Most people don't realize that good teachers don't just stop working when summer comes. Good teachers spend the summers reflecting over the past year and creating new ideas for the next year. It's an ongoing process that never stops because as society changes, we must also in order to keep our teaching fresh and relevant.
