I'm back. Last week, I was too angry and stressed out to blog. I was angry with my situation, and with myself. All last week, I would work myself to exhaustion, then come home about 8pm, collapse from exhaustion, then wake up about 2am and stress out about the next day until 3 or 4am, and then repeat the same thing. On Friday, I didn't even get to return to sleep when I woke up at 2am. I had boxes unpacked, classroom library undone, and new books that seemed thrown at me.

When I made it to the weekend, I avoided my computer, too many times I got into the habit of falling back to using my computer to procrastinate. As a result of avoiding my computer, I managed to do my lesson plans for the 3 days next week. NYC schools are closed for the Rosh Hashanah holiday. I won't embarrass myself by writing the time it took me to write lesson ideas for 3 days. Saturday evening, I even played on my PS2 for a little while.

Today, not having the stress of lesson planning over my head, put me in a good mood. I decided to go to the teacher's supply store in Brooklyn to buy a number line. This morning, I did my laundry. Even though next week is only a three-day work week, I felt that I should not be lazy about letting my laundry pile up. After doing my laundry, I took the MN into the city. First stop was Target. I wanted to develop my photos of my new students. Each year, I take digital photos of my students to incorporate their photos into their written work. I was planning to have the students type up their self-introductions, but Open-House is on Tuesday, so I won't have time to do the typed written assignment. I decided that I would print the student photos and attach them to their hand-written stories. Anyway, I arrived at Target to develop the photos...Oh, and I needed to get a refill of my blood pressure medicine. Anyway, when I arrived at the photo center, there was a lady scanning photos. I did not want to wait, so I put in my refill subscription, and left. I stopped at the Subway's restaurant for lunch. I had a pastrami 6in. It looks like someone else has the shop now, this is about the 3rd owner within the last year...I think.

I arrived at the teacher's supply store with the plan of only buying a number line, but I ended up spending $124. I found some great reproducible skills workbooks in each of the core curriculum content areas. I also found a few other items. For example, I want to do an interactive bulletin board that will allow my students (and myself)to keep track of the books they read. It just requires plastic hooks, binder rings, and index cards. I saw the idea in a classroom a couple of years ago, I will modify it for my personal style and for the reading program we use at my school.

After Brooklyn, I went to Staples on 125th street. I wanted to buy some color index cards, and price the plastic hooks. Target had some okay looking hooks, but not really the style I wanted. Anyway, I took one look at the line in Staples and turned right around and left the building, the line went 3/4 of the way around the perimeter of the entire floor. The line started at the front, went to the back of the store, passed three or four aisle, then back up to the front. Add to the mix, kids running unsupervised, and daydreaming strollers, and clueless shopping cart shoppers, I couldn't take it.

I visited my father's place, then I had dinner at the Korean owned soul food restaurant. I told myself that I would start exercising tomorrow. I went back to Target, but the photo center was just closing, and the shelves were bare. I took the express train to Yonkers. I had about 30 minutes to got to the shop rite store for some milk and shower spray to be back to catch the local train home. The walk is about 10 minutes (6 if you walk fast) from station to store -- one way. If I missed the local train, the next local was an hour wait. I caught the train.

The first thing I did home was to shower, with the plan of trying to print out my homework sheet in blue ink (I ran out of black ink). After showering, I layed down for a minute, but I ended up out like a light in seconds.

Well, I think that is it for now. Hopefully next week (I should say this week since it is now after midnight), I will be back on track. Goals for the week

1. Start rowing on Monday.
2. Make a doctor's appointment to find out the results of my tests.
3. For the Jewish holiday (Rosh Hashanah), I want to do my lesson planning and homework sheets for the month of October. It has long been my dream to be able to plan my lessons a month in advance. An assistant principal mentioned that onetime several years ago, I've thought of it as a fantasy for years, but recently, I started having the desire to make that fantasy a reality.

Oh, I almost forgot. I forgot to mention the small world meeting last week. On my way to work, I met a teacher who was on his way to teach at the junior high school I attended many years ago. The principal at the junior high used to be used to be an English teacher there. About a year ago, I met an e-pal online who also worked at the same junior high school. Small World. :)


Post Date - Monday, September 10, 2007 1:03am