It's official...I'm really tired of the illnesses that winter has been plaguing us with. I think it's because the kids (both my students and my actual children) have been crammed indoors with each other for too long. My students are going crazy...in some case literally, but generally just figuratively. I have given out more 2's and 3's in the past two weeks than I have all year long (I give points in my classroom to track how well the class behaved, followed directions, etc...5 is the most, 1 is the least. They are expected to get 5's, maybe a 4 every once in a while). And some of the classes I've been giving them to are traditionally my "good" classes...the ones I don't have to simplify the lessons for or nix certain activities all together.
But back to the illnesses. I've had some students out for over two weeks. And sometimes it's major illnesses (appendectomy, tonsillectomy, cancer even for one student), but it's generally just this cough/fever thing that my kids have had. It just won't go away! And it's draining, both physically and mentally, and everyone seems to be feeling it. There has been a negative vibe in the building for a couple of weeks now, which has everybody into everyone else's business, telling each other what they should be doing differently. Plank in the eye, people.
And my poor kids, especially Andrew, are just so tired. They just have so little energy. Kadee Joy has been in rarer form than usual, calling one of my dear friends a "loser" yesterday, which naturally sent her straight to bed. She's been testing the boundaries again, reminding me of her entire time as a two year old. She still has yet to understand that it really will be better for her if she owns up to what she has done, rather than lie about it and then get in trouble for both the original act and the lie...Of course, some adults still don't get that either. :)
But on a good note, Chris and I have really been enjoying our time together. We seem to have gotten over a small hill of negativity in our own home, and are into the more encouraging and growing portion of it.
So I know that there is sunshine ahead, warm winds, and comforting calm. Drudging through the cold muck for right now is tiresome, but will thankfully not last forever.
I took up a leadership role at church on Sunday, and have been quite occupied with that. But it has certainly forced me to seek God's guidance and strength, as it is a position that uses strengths but also tugs at many weaknesses that I have. I know that I can't do it on my own, nor would I want to. It's too easily riddled with conflict for me to even attempt to take it on my own. I'm very glad that God is using it do grow me, though. I think I was thinking a little too highly of myself for a while. :)
I'm writing this at school during a short break. I've been purposefully putting each of the grades and objective and learning goals up on the while, along with their corresponding standard. I will say that we were told to do this by administration, but sometimes I slide by since I don't have the "traditional" class setup. But on this one, I took hold of it, and found it to be empowering after looking more closely at the standards and realizing that I really just needed to focus on the few that were for that grade level and teach those in more depth, rather than skimming the service of a dozen other tangents.
And with that, I should go and rewrite them for next week. I'm looking forward to a weekend of rest.
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