Well, I'm probably officially about to go 'round the bend. On Thursday, I set off the the office with hopes of putting the final touches on the power point for class and making sure I had the power point for the Ordeal lesson for our CEALL workshop read [the workshop is this weekend]. Enter chaos. I needed to take one all purpose power point and produce two very different ones, eliminating all references to any content area other than math for the math section, and making sure the links worked for the science/social studies section [which they did not] and eliminate some of the content because students are finding it difficult to keep up in the class. Between questions from staff that needed to be handled, urgent family queries about Thanksgiving plans that necessitated several phone calls, no time for lunch, not enough caffeine, and time that moves at the speed of light when you most need it to move at the speed of molasses, I arrived at my 2 PM class just a bit unfocused. And that's all it took . . . because when I looked at my watch and saw a quarter till the hour, I panicked in my confusion and fast-forwarded my mind to my 3:30 class [wishful thinking?], which does end at quarter till the hour. The 2PM class ends at quarter past the hour, however, and I would have dismissed the first section 30 minutes early were it not for one brave [and probably hated, now] soul who corrected me.
Student body language was loud and clear -- it would have been better for my student evaluations had I just let them go. But no, I had to regroup and forge ahead -- and with most of them now fully tuned out. Good thing that this group of students does not have the power to commit me to an institution, because I'd be packing right now!
Well, Tuesday's class has to be better - as they create their own vocabulary activities I hope that students will see how relevant the vocabulary strategies really are. If it isn't, maybe I should just look for a job at Wal Mart.
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This blog is hilarious yet true. Being in the class that was almost let out early I can affirm that the "brave sole" who corrected you was given a few dirty looks by the class, myself included. It wasn't that we hate class or wanted to be out of the room, it is just that at this point, and throughout most of the semester, we all had the feeling you describe in the beginning of this entry.
There is not enough hours in the day or weeks in the year to achieve everything that needs to be done. What I find most frustrating is that there isn't enough time to give 100% on all the tasks I take on. I am forced to prioritize, limiting my perfectionist nature and therefore turning in assingments I knew with more time I could have done a better job on. The feeling is so very frustrating and somewhat disheartening.
As I write this, it is almost the end of the semester and though I should be excited for the holiday to come, I find myself wishing for weeks more of time to complete all the tasks still before me. I don't know how I am to get these done in less than 72 hours. Whew, will it feel good to have all of this behind us.
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