Same Stuff Different Year

I'm sitting in professional development. Our schools are used as polling places, and as this is election day. To save our kids from stranger danger, we have no school for them. But we have school for us!

In the middle of the biggest budget crisis in years, our district is rolling out "new" teacher rating systems. They are EXACTLY the same as they were when I started five years ago. Which changed 2 times since then.

I wonder how much money they spent to re-create the stuff they already had?

At any rate, I realize there are parts of my job - heck, probably most of the parts of my job! - that I need to improve upon. I need to do more parent contact. I need to enforce rules more. My activities could use more differentiation. I should do more labs. yadda yadda yadda.

But you know what? I have 4 weeks left of this year. And I am TIRED.

We have spent the last week giving state exams in the morning, then teaching a full day in the afternoon. I've been keeping up the rigor - doing lots of math and labs and stuff - but it's hard when the kids are also tired.

And now, when it's all I can do to keep it all running until the end of June, they want me to plan what I can do better. Now, when there are 4 weeks left. (Oh, and here's some logic for you - our school year ends 6/21, but they want our report cards turned in 6/12. Why didn't they administer state exams 6/13 - 21? I just DO NOT GET this district!!)

When it comes down to it, I just want to teach my kids the material I love. Why, oh why, does this have to be so mind-numbingly difficult?? And, do my kids feel like this in my class? Sheesh! They deserve a medal!


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