overwhelmed

Whoa! I'm buried. This new year - in terms of teaching - has been a disaster for me. Two deaths, precisely one month apart, my father's and Kristie's grandmother's, have derailed my teaching schedule. I've missed more time this year than I have in all eight combined!

Plus yesterday's all day curriculum planning day didn't help me get caught up. I had no chance to last night since Kristie's brother, wife, and kids came to visit. I won't tonight either (we're going to see more relatives) nor will I tomorrow (the funeral). So this leaves me trying to plan for being gone tomorrow and what to assign where I won't be swamped with work yet still have some viable assignments for the kids (while not leaving them free to run amok on the sub). And to compound matters - today is another freaking shortened schedule! So I only have a fraction of my prep hour. I swear we have had four shortened schedules in the past seven days.

So here's my plan (this is teacher survival at its ugliest)

For my second block American Lit class I have a quiz ready on what they read and did yesterday. Then I have an essay assignment to connect yesterday's story with their lives and to also get them connected to the one they'll read tomorrow. So I'll turn them loose to write. While they're doing that, I'll read the essays for my third block College Comp Class.

During my College Comp class, I'll have them writing while I get my sub plans ready for tomorrow. I'll also do that over lunch.

Then during my fourth block American Lit class, I'll give them the quiz and lecture longer than second block. This group of kids just can't function with free time. Is it getting the most out of them? Yes (because they need structure) and No (because they are an interesting and lively bunch). I just can't let them take control of the class or it'll all be ruined. So I'll keep them busy and have them finish their themes in class (90% of them wouldn't get them done as homework). Then I'll finish my sub plans and do any last minute correcting/preparation that I can squeeze in.

Then during the assembly, I'll continue to get work done. I'll have to skip it. I have some real knuckle heads in my last block class, so hopefully they'll choose to skip out on the assembly too. Is this right? No. And I know some teachers would have a bloody hissy fit about this. But that's the survival mode I've shifted into.

So why am I blogging? Because it relieves stress!

Uh - oh second block is starting and I haven't reviewed my notes on American Romanticism. I'll be winging it! I hope I'm not supposed to cover Greek and Latin roots today!