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!