OK, I’m a day off. I got up yesterday and just started going and then didn’t stop. This morning, there’s gonna be a lot of the same, but I decided to start here. Because I knew tomorrow would be crazy too. What have I been doing on the first three days of Winter Break? Grading and cleaning, basically. I want the grading done early so I can enjoy the rest of my time off. I’m doing pretty well, although my goal of being done by noon today is probably not quite reality. I have one short academic assignment left that will take a couple of hours, one homework assignment that will take an hour or so, 2 classes of unit packets, an hour plus each for those, and a pile of redoes and late work handed in. That’s more time consuming, but maybe an hour? So that’s about 6 hours at the least. And it’s almost 9, I have to drive the girlchild to her dad’s, eat, finish this, get ready for pilates, leave the house at 1:40, then come back and shower for tonight’s party, AND wrap everything, prep the house for Xmas breakfast here tomorrow…OK, it’s just not happening. But I’m close. I think I can have it done on the 26th. So that’ll do. Because some of my to-do list really does have to be done by 5:15 tonight and some has to be done by 9:30 tomorrow morning. So there’s that.
I did take time yesterday to go to the ceramics studio with the girlchild and then forgot to take pictures. That was my down time. Plus I read a little bit here and there, because I need a break. I walk out to the mailbox because I need a break. I’ve tried the grading thing a bunch of different ways: do it all at the beginning, do it all at the end (that one is HARD), and do a little bit every day (you never escape it). This is the best way. Of course, the real best way is to have nothing to grade over break, but realistically, that doesn’t happen. And our progress report grades are due the week we get back, essentially, so unless I want to lose that weekend to grading, I’m going to do it all now. This damn job…sometimes…I really wish I had a job where I could shut the computer at the end of the day and walk away from it, rather than wake up to a teacher:student conversation in my head that I need to have with my students on January 14. Sigh. But there are pros to this job…like this…
They are not wrong. And they amuse me.
So. Art stuff. I mentioned clay. I’ll try to photograph later this week when we go back. Nothing monumental though. Fabric, I’m just cutting things out forever…Friday night…
Lots of letters. All of the letters.
Saturday night…
Tree parts mostly.
Sunday night…a big background piece and some other stuff…lots of weird eyeball things.
Monday night…more eyeball things, barbed wire, head on fire…
I’m in the 700s, working backwards from the 1600s. So more than halfway. Nine hours in. Crazy really. I’ve been staying up to my natural bedtime, which is around midnight. During school, I try to start going to bed at 10:30. I don’t like it, but I need the sleep, so there we are. I’ll cut out tonight, if I have time (see to-do list for reality check), but definitely the next few nights. Hopefully I’ll be sorting by Friday/Saturday and then ironing. Like I said, this one isn’t getting done in 2024. It’s fine. I’m not in a rush. Not on a deadline. Don’t have a plan for this one. The next one has a deadline, but it’s a ways out and requires some engineering I’m still considering in my head.
I think they finally approved our teacher job description (in the district where I’ve worked for 16+ years)…they took out the ‘traditional values’ bullshit, but added this physical abilities section that cracks me up…
Have they met my knees? Are they going to use this to remove some teachers? Because I know teachers with vision problems who adapt, those with hearing problems who adapt. Not to mention the rotator-cuff surgeries. Like who do they think will take our positions if we leave? There’s not a whole host of young teachers lining up, that’s for sure. Have I run, kneeled, squatted, twisted at school? Yup. And sometimes it hurts. Because I’m old. But not old enough to retire, you assholes. I could argue some of my knee/hip/neck issues are work-related too…so maybe consider the implications of going after people for that. Anyway. Fun times. They still have a ton of money lying around and won’t give us enough of a raise to cover the health insurance bump that happens every year. Please. Pay us less. We deserve it. As we run, twist, kneel through our jobs.
Sigh.
Same with teachers. Our lives matter less than that of a CEO. Don’t make money? Don’t matter.
In the same realm, this is very true.
Hell cat is also acceptable. And some book I just put on my to-read list has a sentient spider plant. I’d take that too. Or a bat.
I feel like I’ve posted this one before.
This is my goal at some point for break. And life.
I have totally done this…
I talked to the paperclips in the electromagnet lab. My students may think I’m nuts, but they don’t usually tell me that. Dammit, now I’m mentally back to the conversation I need to have with them in January. Like if you won’t read feedback and adjust to it, then you’re right, your science grade isn’t going to change. Sigh.
Girlchild and Simba love.
OK. Gotta do the things. Need food first. Need to get out of the way of Kitten and the sun (I’m in her spot right now). Then probably clean a floor and start wrapping. Then grade, exercise, shower, grade some more, and go to a party. Not really in a party mood, but the holidays come whether you’re ready for them or not, right? OK. Here we go.
Kathy Nida 