The stress melted away a little bit today; even though there's still plenty on my mind, I felt relieved to have more than two days to relax. I know we have a lot of things to do this week, but I hope we have a few days where there are no responsibilities or expectations. The … Continue reading December 22: break
small victories
December 21: Happy Solstice
The longest night of the year is meant to be celebrated by candles to light the darkness and roaring bonfires to keep us warm. Today, I got a bag of mandarin oranges and some donuts for my high school kids (oranges are kind of like the sun, and hey, we can all use the vitamin … Continue reading December 21: Happy Solstice
December 4: daily writing
Today I talked with my writing classes about the importance of daily writing - I shared the research, explained the reasoning, that sort of thing. I think I was better able to sell it because I've seen the benefits first hand by writing here everyday. I can sort my thoughts and feelings, I can figure … Continue reading December 4: daily writing
November 25: Achievement Unlocked: Made Goal
I honestly don't think I've ever made a grading goal in my life: I usually get tired and quit with a few left. I thought I was going to do that again tonight, because I got tired and my brain started wandering around looking for distractions pretty early. I took a break, then went back … Continue reading November 25: Achievement Unlocked: Made Goal
November 21: Better
If you would have told me on Monday that I would leave school on Wednesday feeling *good* about things, I would have laughed in your face. But here we are. Teaching can give me metaphorical whiplash: one day can be terrible and I leave feeling like I'm the worst teacher in the world, the next … Continue reading November 21: Better
November 15: the why
Lately I've been internally complaining about "having to write." It's kind of weird, because I don't actually have to write here. I'm not paid; I'm not forced. If I didn't write one day, it wouldn't be missed much. I haven't posted a few of the less interesting blogs to Facebook or other social media recently … Continue reading November 15: the why
October 29: grateful
I was feeling guilty yesterday about my lack of time and focus for grading essays. Tonight, my friend Lanka texted me and asked if I wanted to go out grading. I had a long day, I'm tired, but I said yes. I love grading dates because it holds me accountable and I still get to … Continue reading October 29: grateful
October 26: so many things on my mind
One thing about ADHD is that sometimes my mind is swirling with so many thoughts and ideas that it's impossible to keep them straight. At times like that, I kind of shut down and look for distractions for my mind: reading blogs, looking through twitter, playing a little iPhone game, listening to a podcast, laying … Continue reading October 26: so many things on my mind
October 25: Moment of Whoa
The Ancient Greeks had two words for time: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to linear, sequential time; it's the root of chronological. Kairos refers to the right time for something, an opportunity. I like this idea. If you would have told me a little over a year ago that I would be teaching 7th graders … Continue reading October 25: Moment of Whoa
October 21: Goodbye, long weekend.
I'm sad the long weekend is coming to a close. I feel like it was balanced nicely: MEA conference on Thursday, Lora's birthday on Friday, work at school and dinner with my son on Saturday, and self-care Sunday. Today I slept in, then picked up a few groceries before making bean chili soup for lunches … Continue reading October 21: Goodbye, long weekend.
Adventures in Distraction 