Spring... Into Summer

         I grabbed this screenshot the other day of the 10 day forecast because it was so... weird. Though this back and forth with the temperatures in entirely normal for New England. I can vouch for the fact that Thursday was in fact in the low 70s. Though the rest of the 10 day has shifted a bit since I snagged this. We will have a chilly, cloudy weekend. And mid-80s are now just going to be 80 (and now some of them back up to mid-80's. It changes by the hour). But it looks like we are getting the usual. That is, a bit of Spring and then right into Summer. Which means the last two weeks of school could very possibly end up getting hot, and of course, humid. Not looking forward to that. There is no AC in my room and the kids complain so much. 

     This week has actually gone by very quickly. I had a couple of minor issues here and there, but mostly everything was just fine. And it went fast. I was super busy from the moment I got in, right up until the end of the day. I did take time out of my craziness to talk to students when they needed it. Several needed to talk this week. That's totally fine with me. The grading can wait, needing to talk can't. That was what I always liked best about being a para. Being able to take the time to listen to the kids, get to know them, help them deal with their emotions and life issues, so I could then help them learn. I can do that as a teacher too, but sometimes I don't have enough time. There is never enough time. 

    Speaking of that, I realized something yesterday chatting with a friend of mine. I need to cut back. I can't let the blog cause me stress, and that is what has been happening. When I don't have something to talk about every single day, I get stressed about it. I have posted daily for 2+ years (I think. I lost track) and right now, it's too much. So I think I am going to actually cut back now. I know, I know, so many of you have told me over and over to do it. I'm finally going to listen. I am sure I will need some sort of schedule, or I won't post at all, or it will be so sporadic that it will be like I am not posting at all. And I don't want to do that. So maybe I will aim for 3 times a week. That way it will give me more days to get photos, since I feel I MUST have a photo in every post. And with less pressure on myself to post daily, I might have time (just a bit) to get some other things done. Maybe. This was definitely a decision I have been struggling with, for months, but I am there now. 

     I was working on lesson plans and was realizing I really don't have to do an insane amount more that I need to do. I haven't written it all in my plan book yet, but I have roughly 17 lessons ready for environmental science. I have at least one movie I plan on showing, which is likely going to take 3 days. So that gets me up to 20... I don't need that much more. I am not there yet with chemistry, but I am working on it. Same with bio. I have so much material I should try to get to with bio, but we need to work on that test prep for the MCAS as well. Anyway, I am getting there. And once I have the planning done... I will have even more time I can take to talk to the kids when they need it. Which sounds good to me.