A Profitable Day

Things from today:

My freshmen and I may not make it to the end of the week! They are getting increasingly antsy and it is making me increasingly pissed off. I was so angry today at my 3rd period. I don't know if I told you about their shenannigans, but they used to be my favorite class and now I dread them every day. I'm sick of repeating myself. I'm sick of them not listening. I'm sick of them calling the phone in the middle of class so that it rings 4 times. I'm getting ready for the year to be over too and so with the combination...I don't know if I'll make it and I don't know if they'll survive me. I feel horrible about it because I understand why they're so jittery and I'm not helping the matter with my own irritation but they just make me so mad!

I finally got to see some of the new videos from 6th...oh man, they're SO much better this time. I think my own video "upped-the-anty." This batch is sooo good!

AND...7th period's magazines are fantastic. Seriously...I wasn't sure...but they are fabulous. I am so impressed. And the kids are impressed with themselves too, which is better. One group came in angry today (after having worked 13 hours yesterday on their magazine) and I felt really bad. One said he couldn't wait until it was over because he hated it. He didn't like it at all. I felt bad. But, it was kindof their own fault. I kept telling them they needed to start formatting. BUT ANYWWAY, two groups took their magazine to be bound at Kinkos (not a requirement) and came running back to show me the finished product. They were so proud of themselves! They were practically beaming! One group was the mad group. I said, "See! Look how great this is!" Avi said, "You know, earlier today I was sure I wasn't going to like it even if it looked good, but I have to admit. It was worth it."

I will show you what they look like when they hand them in tomorrow. You'll be impressed.

Today I had to go to Renton on errands and I still have a whole bunch of essays to grade and I can't make myself grade them. So, I went to a coffee shop and oh...it was perfect. Yes, I was grading essays. Yes, I was creating a rubric for 7th's magazines (which was much more complicated than you'd think...I wish I didn't try so hard to be fair), but I was also eating yummy food, drinking a lovely caramel sauce latte and I was sitting in a massage chair! It was so perfect! I got so much done because I was relaxed and enjoying my massage!

So for the rest of the night I was so energized that I graded half the essays, mostly completed 7th period's rubric, and have decided I'll get up early and half-wing-it and half prepare tomorrow morning for my freshmen.

Reflection: Sometimes good things take patience and grading should always be done in a massage chair.

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