Sorry I haven't blogged in awhile... school started up again, and as a teacher, that means I've been swamped with work... for example, here is a list of things I need to grade over the weekend: finish my students' QOD notebooks (10 questions a book, approximately 130 books = 1300 questions); grade the photosynthesis posters my seventh graders made; grade the lab safety quiz they took; grade their microscope worksheet... and then for my 9th graders (I haven't even picked up their QOD's yet--that'll be 75 more tablet to grade): grade their hand-drawn eukaryotic cells (plant and animal, color coded and specific organelles); grade their scientific ethics articles...
Then I have to make a test for both the 7th graders and 9th graders, complete with study guides (they're still young enough to get study guides (if they were older, no way)) and then I'm considering for my 9th graders typing notes on powerpoints that are only partially filled in and uploading them to the webpage in the hopes of making the notes more interactive/ less tedious for them.
Actually, I think I do a lot already to make the notes as interesting as possible, but I'm trying to reach all learners here and ignore my gut instinct that they will tune me out and surf the web instead of filling in their notes. So I'm not sure about that one. We'll see...
But seriously folks... this is A LOT. And I know, I know... I chose this career... and I did, and I (usually) enjoy it. Like today, when I came up with a new, relatively exciting, way to present photosynthesis to my students... that was fun. And I really felt like I connnected with the kids, so it was all good. But at the same time... coming home and having the mountains of work that need to be graded... students, parents and administrators clamoring for grades... lesson plans that take hours each week to complete... plus the actual lesson itself--implementation, materials, etc... sometimes I really have to remind myself why I went into this career, that it's about the kids not the paperwork. And sometimes, I honestly just have to say "screw it" and do what is best for my kids... even if it means getting behind in the paperwork and getting in trouble. I'll deal. At the end of the day, I just want to do my job right. And I know paperwork is part of it, but it shouldn't be the main thing. The main thing should be education... and unfortunately, we have to put that on the back burner a lot of times for other things that supposedly take precedent... anyway, I digress.
I guess all I'm really saying is: I'm only one person and I'll get to it when I get to it. Like Dave Letterman said in his response to the Jihadist death threat: "You want to shut me up? Get in line."
Only I'm saying "You want me to do something else on top of everything that I'm already doing? Get in line." LOL.
I completely understand. Been there, done that, and finally quit. And just like you, I was sick a lot while doing it. After seven years, it wasn't worth it anymore. Maybe you'll last longer than I did.
ReplyDeleteAt the rate the school is going this year, I seriously doubt it. :(
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