Summer Cleaning

It's summer time!  Summers mean no school and swimming and sun and being lazy for a whole two and a half months.  At least for some it is.  For me, summers are mainly about resting up from the school year.  

At least for the first two weeks, then I regain some strength and clarity back into my tired body, and I begin to get bored.  I guess that deep down inside, I'm just one of those people that needs to stay busy.  So I start looking for things to do.

One thing always found on my summer to-do-list is my own late "spring cleaning."  It's time to go through the house and dust and clean and throw away "stuff" that's outlived its usefulness or that met its timely expiration date during the school year.

One of my biggest challenges is the "junk" drawer that just seems to collect things all school year like holiday cards and short poems or ticket stubs, etc.  When I finally have the time to go through it, I have to decide what to do with all this "stuff."  Some would inevitably find its way into a trash can because you just don't have room for everything or it would be stuck away in another drawer or box or scrapbook.

A Teacher's Life

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.

Toast to a new year!

Well, it's now the third day of the new year....and it doesn't look any different.  The sun is still coming out every morning and the weather is still as cold as it was in December of 2013. 

It doesn't feel any different either.  There is no new desire to conquer a problem or to wish for something that might never happen.

What my wish is for the new year is that it be a good year.  I hope to look back at the end of 2014 and be able to say to myself that I did the best I could to make it a good year.

I hope to be as helpful, as caring, as positive, as supportive, as creative, and as productive as I possible can.  I hope to climb any obstacle in my way and achieve success!  If I am the best that I can be, then the best for me is likely to follow!  Here's hoping the new year is all that you hope it to be and more!