I am feeling a lot better today. I had a good day with the students, and am actually looking forward to my lesson tomorrow with one of the classes. Sometimes I don't really look forward to what I am going to do, but this lesson is kind of fun for me.
We don't know what is going to happen as far as cuts go, but it looks like it could be less than twenty. They are probably going to have to cut three teachers from our school next year, and then the thirty+ students will be an everyday thing. But we'll just wait and see how things play out.
They shifted around some kids so that now I have 36 in one period and 31 in the other. So that is a little bit better but there is another one chomping at the bit to get into my 36 person class. I said no until we figure something out. The kids are really flustered by the bigger classes, especially the afternoon class today. They are talking about possibilities. The possibility of getting rid of my freshmen class and putting in another section of seniors was mentioned. I said that I loved my freshmen, though, and that it is probably more important to keep them in smaller classes. Maybe I should have jumped at the chance because it would have given me three preps instead of four, but I am really attached to those kids. There was also some shifting around today that made that class smaller and I only have a few of the newer kids, so that was a relief. Who knows if they would actually do that, anyway.
It was kind of funny because the kids were filling out this survey in my freshmen class today. They were asking me advice on what to put about themselves--whether their best quality was their looks, sense of humor, enthusiasm, etc. So I was telling individual kids what I thought they should put, and then another one would pipe up, "Ms. Boombastic, what about me--what should I put?" Then this new kid pipes up, "What about me?" I said, "Well, I don't know you yet!" I thought it was kind of cute that he wanted to have me tell him what to put, too, even though this was the second day that I had him. I like this kid already.
I'm nervous because my observation is rapidly approaching. I'm just hoping things go smoothly. I am just so tired lately.
It feels so good to be caught up on grading! Tomorrow they will do something they will turn in, but for now my turn-in boxes are empty. I am hoping I can keep on top of things after this.
I'm looking forward to this weekend more than any other!
