The Beat Goes On

Let's say that I am neck deep into day two of work. It started last Friday when I stopped by my classroom to drop off a box of stuff. Less stuff to lug on Monday. For weeks I have been getting more and more anxious about the start of the year. On Friday I got the news that my "oh so fabulous, gotta love her" teaching partner (I mean it, she is great!) would be taking a temporary leave for at least a few weeks. I don't blame her, if I were in her shoes I would be doing the same thing. But that just gave me one more thing to make me crazy.

So here I am trying to remember all the stuff that needs to be done to start the year. This is only my second year setting up an elementary classroom. And there are so many little details that need to be done. That doesn't include all the meetings that eat up time and remind us of how much there is to do.

Our class has gained three new students and lost one. If there is one constant in my life it is change. And I don't like change. So I am doing the best I can, but it seems like there are interruptions every few minutes. Then I get distracted and lose stuff and waste time trying to find it again. Then I have to prioritize the stuff I have to get done with the stuff that I want to get done. Today I did some of both. I emptied the file drawer that was filled with math stuff from several former teachers. Why people don't empty their own stuff I don't know. I figured since I didn't look in there once last year, it was all headed for the recycle. But there were overheads filed in there so I had to sort those into the trash.

I have had an offer from a former classroom parent to come in and help me get stuff done. I called her today and thanked her for her lovely offer and said, "Does Thursday work for you?" So I am hoping she will call me back and say yes, see you then.

So far I am 1 and 1 for headaches. I came home with one yesterday, but not today. Today I went to see the doctor and we decided it was time to see the headache specialist. And I got a tetanus shot, so my arm hurts. In the meantime, if I am going to survive this week I need to go to bed about 9 every night. I don't like to go to bed that early, but the alternative is more headaches.

The mega-marathon-decathalon has started and won't stop until mid June. So I will do what I used to do in PE as a kid when we had to run laps. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, eventually you get there.