It has been a bizarre week! I have committed to arriving at
7:15 every day and leaving by 3:15.
Monday: I found with a forced reduction in work time I was
slightly more efficient. I put grading on the back burner as there were more
pressing issues to complete (curriculum/notes, copies, parent emails). I was
invited to attend a lunch meeting during Tuesday and Thursday’s lunch, (this
overtakes my ‘lunches off’ rule for those days).
Tuesday: My child was sick and I could not attend. Luckily,
classes were only an hour long due to assemblies and fire drills. I missed a
mandatory staff meeting from 3-4:30.
Wednesday: We had shortened classes (60 minutes) today for a
PLC (professional learning community) early release. Classes were only 60 minutes. The afternoon was spent
preparing for a field trip (coordinating with and paying the zoo), responding
to parent emails, attempting to update my grade book (but not finishing), and
preparing notes/curriculum/activities to finish this week and get me through to
Tuesday of next week. Grading was put off (this kills me as I feel timely and
good feedback is one of the most important resources for students to improve
work).
So let’s check-in on the following:
a.
My emotional state: I’m happy to be home more
and feel more rested in the evening. I love getting an extra 15-30 minutes at
home in the morning and not forcing myself to work every extra minute I have.
b.
My physical state: This week was daylight saving
time which wrecks its own havoc on my body and considering my son kept me up
most of one night and gave me a rough day ‘off’; I am feeling pretty good. I
hit snooze when I need it and relax with friends as well. I don’t feel as run
down.
c.
My grading pile: labs due (10 minutes/lab x 60)
+ test make-ups (2x3min/test) and quizzes (14x5min/test)… it is 2” deep and an
estimated 11.2 hours of grading….this can’t be right…
d.
My overall self-assessment of my effectiveness
as an educator: I am developing curriculum like a mad-woman, but have put off
timely feedback for my students and have leaned on my colleagues to administer
tests and tutor after school. I’m feeling guilty for putting a limit on my
hours that others have to pick up. I am more patient with my students and
happier in the classroom, (except for that damn pile of grading)!
Heather’s Assessment of Kristi:
Although not only has this week been hectic
as stated by Kristi, these last FEW weeks have definitely been off with Snow
Days, Late Starts, Assemblies, and Half Days, we have very rarely seen our
students for the “normal” amount of time.
This has made everyone a little edgy.
I am, however, seeing a much more relaxed version of Kristi. She jokes and laughs more, and doesn’t look
or act so overwhelmed. She is doing a
good job (on Monday and Wednesday) getting here at her scheduled time, and leaving
on time, too. It will be interesting to
see whether this experiment is one with more positive than negative
results. I am curious about how big that
pile of grading will actually get!
