Not interesting, is it?

I guess that m;y blog is not going to win any Pulitizer prize for its subject matter. This is the first time I've been able to get back to my creation for a week. School was dismissed for Christmas break at noon on Friday, December 18. It was a welcome bell, as the classes filed out the rooms and loaded their belongings and themselves in their various vehicles. The annual Christmas party was two blocks away, and it was typical: no real fanfare; we ate, enjoyed laughs, and then we left, each to his/her destination. I couldn't wait to get home, since we were going to dine with my three sons at a local resturant. Today is Sunday, December 20, and there will be our first Christmas celebration with our three sons. As an educator, it is good to have time to spend with our family, since we don't get to do so very often during the year. The sun is out, and soon, the darkness will settle in, and our sons will gather at our house to celebrate another Christmas. I know that this is not the most exciting post, but  it's mine, and I am glad to be a part of it. I trust that you find your part this season. Enjoy your day.

Who Said it Would be Easy?

Well, here it is, Tuesday morning, and my students are acting as if they are lost in the mall! Listening carefully has not been one of this class' strong points; why don't we add the four days before they go home for their Christmas vacation in the mix. Do the math.
I know this is the season to be jolly, but as an elementary school teacher, it's hard to be jolly when you have too many things to do, fewer hours to do them in, and then try to remember what is going to happen when.
A reflection: I say every year that I am not going to do certain projects ever again!! Guess what? I lied!! Every year comes and I add to the previous year's activities.
Yes, a crazy teacher.
Have a great day.
Me

What happened to 2009?

It has been a hard year, and as I entered my 40th year as an educator, I realized that this field will never be the same as it was in 1970. That is no mystery, indeed. Society, the political arena, the country--I could go on--cannot be recognized as they were less than 20 years ago.  I am an educator, and I've moved across this country in Christian schools from the third grade through high school, and a brief stance in front of college students not much younger than I was at the time. I've created curriculum, written plans, and attempted 'new ideas' and 'new buzz words' in the classroom. I've been there, and I'm still there. Yet, it's not the same, and it never will be. Parents are not the same. Children will never be the same. In fact, it seems that the last couple of generations of parents are basically children trying to raise children, and it doesn't seem to be working very well. Most days I leave my classroom, trying to unravel what I have taught (when I have a few minutes to do so), and then attempt to discover how to minister to the parents who don't understand our mission as educators and Christian leaders. Well, so much for that. This month is almost over, and the year will be part of all of our histories, no matter who we are or where we are; no matter what we do and what or likes and dislikes are. The world has changed; it always does; our families have changed; they will, and it is good. Yet, I have felt that this year, more than ever, that I have not accomplished what I set out to do: now or even for the past 40 years. I await to see how I think later on. Enjoy the rest of this day.