Like the End of a Good Book....

Our 2013-14 school year has come and gone... you never realize how quickly it goes by, until the last day.  You look around and wonder, "how is it time to say goodbye already?"  I know everyone is ready for a break, and I would be lying if I said I would not enjoy a couple days of sleeping in!  

Now, I will set the story...The setting is just a quaint little building.  Not entirely great to look at but filled with nooks and crannies of the past.  The characters are several students, teachers, and staff trying to live life to the best of their ability, dealing with whatever is thrown their way.  These individuals face many obstacles from learning new lessons to fighting battles- losing friends or loved ones.  We watch people grow, fall, succeed, and bleed. All of this within just a matter of months.  The rising action, climax, and falling action all take place within such a short period of time.  Finally, the conclusion.  You have the last week jam packed with awards, talent show and track & field.  Everyone is laughing and playing, the smell of summer is in the air.  It is the end of the book... but you want more!  How can this be the end?  

There will be some who are leaving our setting (Conesville), but a new crop will be filling their spots the following year.  Not taking their places!  So... then the new book begins and we will have a new set of characters in the same setting.  We will fill that book with new memories and adventures.  

Remember it is our story to write! 

On another note!  It is important for us to read this summer as much as we possibly can!  If you read 4-5 chapter books, or have somebody read with you, you will be on track to get started next year.  Never let your love for learning or reading stop when the school year ends!  Challenge yourself to continue to read this summer and report your progress to your teachers!

Have a fun and safe summer!

Seriously... Where did April go?

So... I guess I have been so busy I did not realize that April just ran past me with no warning.  Time flies when you are having fun and that must be true.  We have been preparing for testing and piloting assessments for next year.  New testing makes so much sense, the way they are gathering evidence of our students learning.  No longer should teachers teach to tests, but teach skills and have students apply them in real life situations.  Reading and writing- really measuring the knowledge of items that matter.  
I know people think teaching is easy, yet the constant formative assessments, differentiation, reteaching, reassessing are quite fatiguing.  I love my job, but I am exhausted at the end of the day.. just in time to run my 3 very busy children from one side of the state to the other.  Luckily, I have a village that helps take care of my children.  This is where I give a shout out to all of my great friends and family members who help, or at least attempt to.

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Right now, believe it or not, we are preparing for next year.  Thinking of different ways to approach the skills we taught this year and cool projects.  I am trying to visualize what my groups will look like for reading and what I will ask of my students, and how relevant my requests are... When I signed up to be a teacher I had no idea it would not just be my career but a lifestyle.  I laughed one day because a friend of our family, who is also married to a teacher, said "Be ready because this (school) is all you will ever talk about for the rest of your life".  It is funny now because I had no idea.

My co-workers are my best friends.  We live and breathe this stuff.  However, we do prioritize our lives as well.  Family is first for a lot of us.  

The last day of school will come so quickly.  Awards day, track and field, the infamous talent show.  I love the smell of this old building when it gets to be about 100 degrees or better- not really!  Have a great May!