Modify. When I read that word I read it like Mia and Tia from Cars. If you don’t know they are the Miata twins with the headlights, ok too many long nights watching Cars with an insomniac son. Anyway, doubt you have noticed, but I haven’t posted here in 2012. Sad. Maybe not to anyone but me, but I find it sad. Even sadder (that is such gross English, sorry) is the reason I haven’t blogged. I’m frustrated. A lot in the education world is making me discouraged, mostly testing & the way we “prove” students are learning. It’s getting to me. Frustration.
Also the way I teach, my teaching, classroom management, etc is frustrating me. I have a period that makes me insane, I feel my lessons can’t teach what I need to because of trying to stay on schedule, and we won’t even go into my frustration with class size.
I’m frustrated with my health that can’t keep up with my life. Details I won’t go into but because of this major changes are going to have to take place. But a healthy mom is what my children deserve.
We won’t even go into my frustration of a new year and still not holding that tech job I have long for for years now.
So I’m frustrated and feel stuck. So stuck. Tonight I opened a fortune cookie and it read “Modify your thinking to handle new situations.” Frustration without solutions is a brand new situation for me. I’m a Plan B, Plan C, let’s fix this now person. Time to modify my thinking, not sure how, not sure what, but it’s time to change thinking and mindset. Now just need to find that starting line…
It may not make you feel any less frustrated, but you are not the only one feeling this way. I too feel frustrated with teaching and all the increased pressure on teachers these days. I am frustrated too by the lack of respect our field gets these days. I am also desperately seeking an ed tech job so that I can put my Master’s degree to work. All this frustration makes me tired. You are correct that being healthy is important for your family, but it is also important for you and your stress level. I guess what I am saying is that we may not work in the same district or even the same state, but we are in this together and can, perhaps, work together to learn how to modify.
Frustration is rampant. There are so many things that are issues in education.
Today is my first day back to work from winter break. I laid in bed and listened to my alarm for 20 minutes before deciding I had to go to school. For the first time in 5 years of teaching, I’m truly not looking forward to it.
My plan for today is to thank each student for choosing to come to school. They didn’t have to. In fact, I’ve got one student who I know will not be there. He’ll choose to stay home 2 or 3 days this week.
My other plan for the day is to really look at my classes and pull a few students from each class aside and compliment them on the choices they are making to be students and learn.
I can’t control the testing pieces. I can’t control the meeting schedules. I can’t control anything that happens. I control what happens in my classroom for one student for one hour a day. Is it easy? NO. I still don’t want to go to school but I know that I’ll find one student who is connected with what I’m trying to do in the classroom.
I’ll say a little prayer this morning for you and for all teachers that we find the reason to go back day after day.
Today is our second full week of school for the semester and I agree with Christine and Ben…I’ve been struggling lately to get excited about school. Lessons have bombed, days have been long, and kids have worked this camel pretty dang hard.
But, I’ve found time to go on a bike ride in this AWESOME heat wave, spent time with friends, and spent time playing games with my wife every day this week, in spite of the work looming over my head.
Take time for yourself. Keep moving forward and dig into your students…don’t just exist in the room. If a lesson falls through, it isn’t the end of the world. Students will remember that we were there with them, even when things seemed to be falling apart.
-Brian
Thanks yall! I didn’t want to push “publish” on this post bc I didn’t want it to look like “poor pitiful me” but I think honesty with yourself and others is important. Thank you so much for the support and knowing I am not alone!
Late to the party, but wow! I could have almost typed this entry word-for-word. Thanks to you and to all those who added their own thoughts at the end. It really helped reading this!