Well, it's Saturday... and so I know there is a God! :)
This morning Brent woke me up at about 7 (I think!!!) to say good bye as he left for work (soccer games on Saturday AMs). I felt a smile cross my face as I then rolled over, didn't even bother looking at the clock, and drifted back into sleep. How beautiful is that moment! I then woke up around 9, since I had to use the restroom. I crawled back in bed, and as I was drifting back to sleep I thought, "Kels, you're awake, so get up and enjoy the morning. You've already gotten about 3 hours more sleep then you normally do!" So, unlike most mornings like this, I listened to my head and pulled on some sweatpants, cut some pieces of homemade bread for toast (thanks for the bread machine, mom!), brewed some coffee, and grabbed the book I'm currently reading (and have currently been reading for far too long since I don't have time to read it), and headed out onto our little porch. I leisurely drank my coffee, ate my toast, and read and read and read. At about 10 I was really hot (a combination of the coffee and the fact that it's already about 80 here today in mid-october?! What is that about?), and I came back inside. It was a very refreshing time, and something I haven't allowed myself in awhile.
This past week midterms were due, I was pleased that I didn't get any phone calls from parents complaining about their child's grade. I think this was mainly because I worked my butt off and had kids stay after and retaught and retaught and retaught and then had them retake quizzes etc. unlike all grades were above failing (even if just by .01!!!). My school's grading system/philosophy is interesting. They split grades into two categories: Academic, and Effort. Something can only be deemed and academic grade if it is assessing a state standard. This seems to be hard to accomplish in Language Arts. If we are reading a book and I give them reading questions, I cannot record this as an academic grade. If I have them write daily in their "writer's notebooks" and I grade them, I cannot record this as an academic grade...as you can probably tell, this gets a little hairy. It's a fine line, and it's even harder to keep track of actual "effort." Beyond this, we don't have such a thing as a "D." All grades are A (Excellent), B (satisfactory), C (Needs improvement), or F (Failing). This way, they feel, a student can't merely skate by. THey have to show actual achievement. In theory, all of this is great, but you can imagine it actually being played out.
In other news, my first observation for KTIP is on Monday. I'm starting a poetry unit. It should go okay, but if you think of me around 1 oclock (my time) say a little prayer :). I've already told my students in that class that no matter what they need to act like what I'm saying on Monday is the most interesting thing they have ever heard! :)
I had a great conversation with the other new teacher in our school (who is just across the hall from me). I want to dedicate an entire post to this, so look forward to that later. She just really spoke a lot of biblical wisdom into my life and prayed for me at just the right time. God is always faithful, huh?!
I have a ton of pictures that I have not had the chance to update you all with, so after I post this one I am going to create one more new post today as a sort of "picture update." So please, stay tuned. ...
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