Toady is the fist weekend after the students came back to school. It also happens to be Labor Day weekend. I made quite a few discoveries this past week. First, I discovered that for some reason teaching is harder than it was last year. That doesn't shock me much though. Last year was harder than that year before. And so on. It's because of TAKS and other other such things as NCLB.
But one thing never changes. That's the excitement I feel when I see for the first time faces of my new class of ninth graders. They come in not quite knowing what to expect, but they plan to do well. Everyone of them come in with an attitude of this is going to be their best year yet. Its my job to help them succeed in that mission. I intend to do my very best.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Home At Last!
It's been a glorious summer! I traveled over 11,000 miles. I started with a visit from my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Then I went to California for a brief stay. When I got home from California I went to Louisiana to see my son and return his family to him. Then things really began to heat up!
After my trip to Louisiana, I went to Austin a few times. Once for school and the rest to see my sister. Then I traveled to see my brother in Oklahoma, and Uncle in Arizona, and my son in Kansas. All said, I was only home to mow my lawn three times this summer and only home long enough to attend to things at school and leave again.
The saying that you need to go back to work so you can rest from your vacation has been true for me this year. Teachers went back to school today, and I feel calmness just knowing I can't go anywhere very far away for at least three months!
Seeing my Uncle and Aunt was great. We rode around in dune buggies in the desert mountains and had a blast. Who knew a 70 year old man could be so much fun?
Seeing my oldest son was great. He works so much its hard for him to get away, but we got to spend some quality time together.
And, after all, that's what this summer was about. Spending some quality time with members of my family because I don't get to see them very often and opportunities like this don't come along very often. Everything just sort of clicked and all the opportunities were there at the right times.
That's how I want to spend my life. Making the decision to capture the opportunities as they arise and not wish later that I had taken them. I don't want to look back and say "if only".
After my trip to Louisiana, I went to Austin a few times. Once for school and the rest to see my sister. Then I traveled to see my brother in Oklahoma, and Uncle in Arizona, and my son in Kansas. All said, I was only home to mow my lawn three times this summer and only home long enough to attend to things at school and leave again.
The saying that you need to go back to work so you can rest from your vacation has been true for me this year. Teachers went back to school today, and I feel calmness just knowing I can't go anywhere very far away for at least three months!
Seeing my Uncle and Aunt was great. We rode around in dune buggies in the desert mountains and had a blast. Who knew a 70 year old man could be so much fun?
Seeing my oldest son was great. He works so much its hard for him to get away, but we got to spend some quality time together.
And, after all, that's what this summer was about. Spending some quality time with members of my family because I don't get to see them very often and opportunities like this don't come along very often. Everything just sort of clicked and all the opportunities were there at the right times.
That's how I want to spend my life. Making the decision to capture the opportunities as they arise and not wish later that I had taken them. I don't want to look back and say "if only".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
