Monday, May 21, 2007

Countdown!

Giddy!!! Ecstatic!!! Yipeee-ki-yay!!!

It's almost here! Just 2 1/2 more days! Well, I don't really count the half day since it's so short & isn't that painful. ha!

School will be out for the kids for summer come Thursday. I'm soooo thankful! It's been a very long year with a lot of weird twists, turns, and loopdeloops. Let's just say you wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain, and the explanation is so long it will take another time to write about it.

Wednesday night we have a dinner with the Guardian Ad Litem volunteers. Thursday is the half day, which also happens to be the day we have to go to a "match meeting" about the children we are adopting. That means I don't even have to work the half day at school. Friday is a teacher work day, but for those of us who have compensatory time (times you end up working without pay, but they let you bank the time to use sometime when you don't have kids so you can leave early or have off...which is rare...maybe two days a year possible)....if you have comp time, you can use it to take Friday off. I doubt I will. I have filing to do. (Btw, I have over 3 weeks of comp time that never gets used up & I never get paid for.)

This year we have a new reading series & I like to start a file for every story or unit we do. I didn't get to do much of that this year with all the upheaval we've had. So I'll either take it home & start it, or do it that day. My parents are coming to visit & help, too, with packing up. They are retired teachers. They know what it's like when you want to get out the door. For those of you who say teachers have it easy with summers off, you just don't know that not only do we NOT get paid over the summer, but it takes the entire summer to unwind & gear up & prepare for the NEXT batch of students. At the end of the school year, we are drained emotionally, intellectually, and physically. And as we get older, it doesn't get any easier, especially with the stupid politics & testing. Everyone talks the talk, but no one ever fixes anything. So YES, I'm very ready for the much needed rest!

I missed last Thursday's 5 Things to be Thankful for...

so here goes...

1. The end of the school year

2. Our adoption "match meet"

3. The wonderful sunshine here in FL

4. Rest & Relaxation

5. Love...that comes from all & radiates through all.

~sher

 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen to that!!! Especially about the summers we need just to unwind and gear up to prepare for the next class of kids... I am totally drained, wiped out in every way by the end of the year. This week, I can hardly think...   As much as I like the teaching, the politics being played out with testing, and cut backs (assistants are being removed), have taken their toll on me. Unless I can find another way to deal with it, I may be seeking other healthier ways to use my skills and talents. You have only two days.... yeay!!! I have two weeks, so I'm right behind you, sister. bea

Anonymous said...

That's great that your school year is coming to an end and you can relax for alittle bit :) School is out here on Friday and they have to go the whole day!

Hugs and prayers,
Gretchen

Anonymous said...

I only teach my own kids, and we never stop--we go year around...but I do teach on Mondays at our co-op. It does not start back until September, and I am busy gathering resources already.  So I can identify with this. It is a lot more pressure when it is someone else's children.

In a way I always dread the school kids getting out, because our lives become so much louder and busier. They are at our house all day and night, and it is always a bit of a shock the first few weeks. Usually we have until 3:00 PM with just the family.  Sammy is already here most of the time, and the boys have started camping out.  The twins will be here almost all the time too!