That means more than exhausted...not broken into infinitesimal pieces.
First week with students finished.
Four students with zero English (German, Dutch and two from South Korea). Boy:girl ratio is 3:1. Three students who are more than a year too young for second grade. (Parents, no matter how brilliant you child is, age does make a difference. And, actually, they may not be brilliant. They just may have gotten there sooner. Classmates generally catch-up and things even out by fourth grade or so. Please, please don't push your child ahead just because he/she is a good reader. Please.)
Musical auditions start Monday--no scripts, no theatre, and many third-grade parents worried about balancing homework and rehearsals.
Haven't checked personal e-mail in a week.
No phone. All you can hear on this end is static.
I slept THIRTEEN hours last night. And was in bed for about fifteen.
Lending the computer to a colleague who wants to watch the basketball gold-medal final.
Will be back soon...just not sure when.
Kate!
ps No adoption news. No car news, either.
23 August 2008
shattered
9 comments:
What a week. I sure hope it gets better over time.
Wow, you've got your work cut out for you this year.
So, it's "shattered" not "knackered" huh?!
Wow is right - well maybe it will keep you mind off the adoption til you get a referral - and give you something else for people to ask you about!
Hoping week two gets a little easier!
Lots going on!!!
Regarding the young kids in class, when I was in first grade I was far too advanced in reading for my class. (I don't know why... my mom must have done a good job with me and language is just something that comes easily for me.) So the school moved me into the second grade class for reading only, when that wasn't enough I went up to third. By the end of the year, they had me in fourth grade for reading. That was an appropriate fit for my level, but I was nervous and shy.
When I advanced to second grade, they sent me to fourth grade again for reading. (Fifth was in a different building with the junior high -- thank goodness they didn't send me there!) Finally they decided that the fourth grade work was too easy for me after having it the year before. So, finally, all the adults actually TALKED to me about it. They gave me a choice -- work independently while my second grade class was doing phonics and so forth, or do the second grade work even though I already knew it. My choice was simple. I wanted to do what my class was doing. I didn't care that the work was too easy -- I hated being different.
I was painfully shy as a kid, and I swear to this day that all that moving me up in classes had a lot to do with it. I felt different than the other kids... and not in a good way.
(Sorry to hijack your blog, your mention of that just made me remember how it all felt to be moved ahead. When parents are in such a rush to push kids forward, I always wonder if they know how their child feels about it.)
Wow. The first week is exhausting. I remember that about teaching...and your "too young" ones. Yipes. You are so right about that. And why do parents want to push, anyway? Children grow up all too soon....and does anyone really want their still-childlike ten year old influenced too early (or shunned) by the hormonally-driven twelve and thirteen year olds? Think ahead, parents, for heaven's sake!
I couldn't agree more with you about parents pushing kids ahead. It seems that at times, it's done more as a status thing for parents than it is in the best interest of the child. We actually held Eamon back a year from Kindergarten (he starts on Sept. 3rd, and will turn 6 in October). It just seems that the extra year of maturity will help him to succeed. plus, when all these younger kids get to high school, can you imagine the effects peer pressure might have on them? If they are the same age as or slightly older than their classmates, they may feel more confident about making good decisions.
I hope things settle a bit for you soon and you don't feel so shattered.
Jenni - I did that with both my bio-kids. Each started kindergarten when they were solidly 6, and I was never sorry. It worked out exactly as you said, and furthermore, they were a bit more ready for the adolescent thing. Now they are 26 and 21, by the way, so the proof is indeed in the pudding.
So what precisely is the difference between 'shattered' and 'knackered'? I've always wondered.
You are in for a challenging year with your students. Hope everything goes smoother your second week of school.
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