Second Hand Second Gen

Me gots a new toy! Thanks to a dear friend who recently purchased an iphone gen 4, gave me his old iphone gen 2 (hope that's the right names for both). Anyhoo, instead of going out and buying an expensive upgrade that I can't afford right now, this was a nice gift and easier way for me to learn a new technology. Even though newer models are already out there, I'm happy to try this one on for size until we are in a better position financially...who knows when that will be in this economy! I have been pretty resistant to the touchscreen models since I like my keyboard option. I still can't stand the touchscreen way of typing because I am so bad at it, but I suppose I'll eventually get used to it. I am excited though for some of the extra goodies I can use like facebook, lots of apps, and music. My old phone was a dinosaur in comparison. Technology moves on and I guess we have no choice but to move along with it or be left behind.

Back to reality...

What a long and winding road this week has been! As per usual, report card season has kept me freakishly busy. However, if I hadn't had so many days off this week, I doubt I would've finished my work in time. Last term I was working until the last minute to get all 57 report cards/comments completed. Much of it was done on my personal time, if that gives you any indication of how time-consuming the process is. I pray that spring term goes smoother!

This past week, Monday was a holiday, Tuesday K had a fever, Thursday was a snow day, and Friday I had the option to work from home. Wednesday was the only day I actually taught. It's always a good feeling to finish, but it takes an additional couple of days to resume my regular routine since I become so immersed in my work. I'm going to try and do that starting tomorrow and get some home projects taken care of such as decorating for spring holidays. I've misplaced my camera, so I need to find it so I can get back to my love of photography. A hot bath, some good comfort food, and no thoughts of work for the whole weekend are in order.

Family, Pizza, and Ghost Monsters

A few weeks ago, the kids and I drove to Salem for a belated Christmas with my natural father and my grandmother. They treated us to lunch at Walery's Pizza, a slice of heaven literally and figuratively. They seriously make some of the best pizza I've ever eaten. The kids even got to open some gifts, eat some yummy food, and play some arcade games with their Grandpa. I even got to play a round of Ms. Pacman, something I can't resist when the opportunity presents itself (and I can kick a little ghost monster a*@#). It was a wonderful day.

N received The Last Airbender and The Karate Kid

K received Strawberry Shortcake's Glimmerberry Ball and Hotel for Dogs

At Walery's Pizza

K and N with Grandpa Gordon

Comparing hands with Grandma

Waiting for some yummy pizza

Thankfully he can't drive legally for another 5 years

Practicing her aim

Concentrating so he can stay on the road

Pinball time!

Fighting the Good Fight

Oh what a long and winding road this school year has been. Each year you would think things would get easier and some ways they go, but not quite the way I envisioned. As much as I like my job, there are so many hurdles that keep me and my fellow teachers from doing our best and loving it here. Space is an issue at every school, but it is a particularly sore subject with my department. The homerooms must take priority, which leaves us specialists in the lurch. Our music, pe, and art departments all have their own spaces (pretty nice ones actually). However, our English department get whatever is leftover. We've made things work in spite of this, but have been informed that we will be "traveling teachers" next year. Basically, we will teach each grade level by sharing a space with a homeroom teacher from that grade. Can you feel my excitement?


I have kept the hope alive and have tried to be positive about the changes and expectations that come down the pike, but I'm nearing my limit. I still truly enjoy my work there and in spite of the myriad of other obstacles we face, not having a space to call my own is a bitter pill to swallow. The job market doesn't give me the luxury to be picky, so I may have no choice but to keep fighting the good fight.


I just keep wondering how patient we have to be before the powers that be realize how far backwards we are backsliding. We already have more content than we can possibly fit into an hour of instruction for each grade level, so get very creative. We already have an major lack of resources from which to draw from, yet we persevere. We already have faced as disturbing turnover rate in years past. However, our current team is longest any previous teachers have stayed in our department. Myself and the other teachers have literally built our program from scratch in spite of everything.


Report card season is a particularly brutal time. It is a race against time to input the large volume of grades and individualized comments required (for all 57 of my students) each semester. I have worked just as hard at other jobs before teaching, but this profession drains me mentally and physically in ways I never expected. Don't get me wrong, I love it. Just need to occasionally vent. Every great job will inevitably carry unpleasant aspects that we don't look forward to, but we are all entitled to blow off steam as needed.


Patience, flexibility, and perseverance are the skills I will most definitely take away from this school when my time to move on arrives. When that will be, only time will tell. Until then, I will keep on keeping on.