Things are looking up!

When I got to work this morning, I was determined to finally figure out how to convert my video file and post it onto Youtube. Never having done something like this before, it had taken me an hour or so of experimentation. Finally, I figured it out! Success! Now my students can watch a review video of me teaching the lesson when they want to go back over the topic! I'm thinking of posting these little "lesson minis" regularly during the year now that my school budget allowed me to purchase cameras and a camcorder.

So, I was already feeling very proud of myself when I received another email. It was from my Master's course instructor. I was sorting through all of the rubrics and feedback for my grade, and I didn't earn an A. I earned an A+!!! Super happy after all of the time I spent on that dang project. Some of you who read my blogs might have seen some mention of how exhausting it was and how many times I had to re-address the material. So it's good to know that it paid off.

I finished my first week back of classes, and I think it went pretty well. The kids are responsive, and due to my professional development course, I feel as though I'm teaching better than ever!! The difficult part is keeping up the pace. I feel as though things are going so fast and keeping me busy every second of the day. My planning periods and lunch break are all about running around the school doing errands, making copies, etc., while the rest of the time is catching up on LOTS of paperwork.

I come home and I just want to drop. Except that I can't--my 2-year-old is ready and waiting for me to come through the door to play with her. We watch phonics computer animations together, run around the house like crazy people, jump on the bed, and catch up on Blue's Clues. When she finally goes to sleep, I read a few words in the novel I've been working my way through (page by page), and in about 15 minutes, I'm asleep.

Welcome to my day.