I am in search of balance this summer. I want
it to be wildly fun, but I also want the laundry to get done.
I have time to tackle big work projects, but not at the
expense of my family time. So balance is the name of the game.
Categories:
(family fun) (needed) and (work related fun)
My Mr. claims that I get too into my job (He teaches too)...
But I really really do have fun creating curriculum.
But my work fun can completely take over my life become a distration.
See, the need for balance....
Today's balance sheet:
Cleaning out Little Bear's room (needed)
Decluttering the house and making it shine (needed)
Day trip to the nearby water park with little bear (family fun)
Baking cookies with the boys (family fun)
Playing with Little Bear's new car wash made by
my father in law (super family fun)
Blogging with you (sweet fun)
Not bad, I'd say that is a balanced day.
OH, I did 3 loads of laundry. YAY (needed)
Ok, but secretly I really want to do this all day ...
Read a book called The Daily 5.
See what I mean about work taking over my life...
That would be engrossing work fun... shame
Sure, if you teach, you probably read Daily 5
over 4 years ago and are so much cooler than me,
but I am out of the loop.
I am hearing that these chicks dont like "centers".
Finally . I mean shame on them.
I don't like centers either.
This was me in the year 2002.
I spend my life making centers for my 2nd graders.
The kids dont do them with rigor or intensity.
My hard work creating and laminating
gets chewed up, lost, or stolen.
***grrrrr***
I am so exhaused from creating centers that instead of
pulling my last reading group, I'd lay my head down and
just cringe realizing that a new month
and new theme are looming! New centers need to be made...
Centers = suffering
Suffering leads to the Dark Side
Fast forward to 2008 and I have stored my centers binder.
I assign 60 minutes of meaningful
thematic (fun) but still rigorous seatwork....
WHICH I HAVE TO GRADE.
***silent weeping ***
It also means 60 minutes of inturruptions because
If there is rigor....
There will be questions, stalling, whining, giving up
and my all time favorite, hiding the work in inside the desk.
Seatwork = an hour of grading = suffering
So if the Daily 5 chicks are not doing centers . . .
What are they doing?
Have they come over to the darkside?
My current plan is this...
So, I am going to do 15 minute reading bursts 5 times a day.
I am the reading specialist pulling them out of class.
I am going to pull groups when the rest of my class
is already occupied with the normal curriculum.
This actually gives me more time to do
science and social studies, which the kids are hungry for.
It also gives me more time for art and music!
In 15 minute bursts, no one is tortured by long spells
of required seated silence.
Can I hear a cheer from all my ADHD peeps out there?
I am pulling a reading group when my
students are doing their normal whole class. . .
1. "Book Look"
2. Posting on my Facebook Wall (I'll blog on that later)
3. Copying their math journal.
(By the time they are done copying, I'm done with the group)
4. During Writer's Block
5. Final Book Look
That means nothing to grade
that I am not already grading.
GENIUS!
But what do these Daily 5 chicks do???
I'm going to read the book! I'll report back.
I wonder if the book will change my current plan?
I'll keep you posted.
