Mama said there'd be weeks like this....

This past week was so filled with highs and lows I can't even believe it. I started off the week with a bang, spent all day Sunday planning and was inspired to be more consistent with my students. Monday went great! Tuesday was fine. Wednesday was a disaster. I woke up (late) sick. I was frazzled, I didn't feel well and as a result I was not patient or consistent with my students. Therefore, lessons did not go as they should have. I felt awful physically and emotionally. I started crying in the faculty restroom and when I returned to my staff meeting my vice-principal insisted I go home and get a sub for thursday. I did not argue with her. I went to bed early on Wednesday and slept for 12 hours. Friday I was feeling better and had it much more together...which was a good thing because we had a LOCK DOWN. 35 6th graders in my classroom for 3 hours straight. AWESOME. Actually, it went fine, I figured out an activity for them to do and then made them read silently, but it certainly mixed things up.

I realized again that I still don't really know how to do effective literacy instruction. I have been looking at some sample long term plans and have decided that I need to follow a pre-made one instead of trying to make my own. I will have to adapt it because the ones that I am provided with are designed for 2 hours of literacy instruction each day and I only get one. I am not sure exactly how I will teach them everything. I am going to have to prioritize and be creative. I know I can do this, but I also know that it is URGENT that I get my long term plan in place because right now my instruction has OK but doesn't really have direction. These are all things that I know and have known it is just a matter of finding the time to do it.

In other news, I am losing a roommate. This is rough. She has been having a really hard time and has decided that it is best that she not continue teaching. It is strange to think of Phoenix and this apartment without Julie. She is leaving on a trip on Monday and I'm not sure when she will be back and how the whole moving process will work. Hopefully we'll get to talk about that before she leaves. I still can't believe it.

I continue...I woke up at 7:30 this morning and my alarm was not set til 9:30. Those of you who know me well will understand how strange this is. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep...so I ate some fruit and got to work. It is time for my break to be over. I need to clean my room, something I haven't done since I started teaching 6 weeks ago. Oops.