Stealing from a colleague..

In my profession, stealing is completely acceptable in terms of activities and lesson ideas and general know-how. Today I'm stealing an idea from colleague on the English hall and fellow writer over at Box of Chocolates (see the blogroll).

We are SO close to the end of the year, so I think in this post I'm going to do 5 stressors and 5 smileys about the end of the school year:

5 Stressors

• The seniors thought it was a good idea to paint the spirit rock like a KKK member.
• I'm out of copies on the printer/copier on my hall.
  
• NOW the kids care about their absences and tardies...where were they the rest of the semester when I hassled them about it?
• Three students had to go to the office first thing this morning because they won't stop throwing things in my classroom...they've been mistreating another teacher in the building for weeks and I am NOT her.
• I have to get grades finished, attendance reconciled, appeals filled out, sit on the attendance committee, AND finish my product of learning for grad school by June 3.

Whew, that felt good :)

5 Smileys :D

• I have managed to keep my room in some sort of order in the chaos that has been the transition into my new role as yearbook adviser.
• I feel that overall the school year has been a success.
• Senior awards day and Senior picnic = a fun Friday this week!
• 3 day weekend, thank you Memorial Day!
  
• The end is in sight!!

I'm feeling pretty good today, and the kids are tame aside from this morning's incident. Thank goodness for an AP who isn't afraid to dish out punishment!

Disconnected

That's how I'm feeling right now. I want so desperately to feel connected to something...anything! I've fallen out of touch with my blog (and thus the 8 people who "follow" it). I'm in the throes of finishing grad school (yippee!!) but am exhausted with the workload. There are so many changes going on in my life that I feel apart from it...

Does that make any sense at all?

I usually like to post things are happy or positive or exciting, but that just isn't me right now. I'm in a place that feels dark, but not necessarily scary. I think that maybe I'm just in a transition where I'm not sure where to go from here. Work has been really stressful lately in terms of the kids getting antsy for their summer vacation (and the teachers too!). Testing is about to start which means training and odd school hours and shifts and duty schedules and it all makes me want to scream! I am so on board with the things my colleague writes over at Box of Chocolates (see the blogroll and check it out). Sometimes I really envy her commitment to writing on her blog and sharing what's going on with work and life and such.

I think I'm getting a glimpse of a precious moment in my life where I can slow down and reflect on what has gone on in the last few years of my marriage and career. Let's hope this time is fruitful and prompts me to write more and be more transparent.