Monday, Monday...

There are so many things to be done at the beginning of each school year that it takes a lot of extra effort to get it all done in a timely manner.  The room has to be arranged, making sure that there are enough desks.  Texts have to be distributed, keeping track of condition and number.  Grade books have to be set up by writing the names of all of the students in them.  (I also have a record-keeping system to keep track of tardies, potty trotting, bonus points, and other "events," that requires writing the names on yet another list.)  Lesson plans, running off papers, making sure everyone understands the routine, etc.  It all takes time.  Most years, I would stay after school to get it all done, but my room is too hot this year for me to want to stay in it any longer than necessary...which would normally mean that I'd have to bring some of the paperwork home.  This year, however, I got lucky.  I managed to get both the record keeping lists and my grade book set up during the day today.  Yay!  The next order of business will be to set up seating charts--an important task in classroom management.  A good seating chart can make the difference between a viable class setting and a disaster.  Will work on those tomorrow, even though I don't know the kids yet.  ANY seating chart is better than letting the kids sit where they want to, at the eighth grade level!

I have made a new rule for myself:  no evening nap, in hopes that I will go to bed earlier in order to make up for the earlier morning alarm clock time.  So far, it's not working!  When I got home at 3:30 today, I was immediately sleepy.  I hit the couch at 4:15 and didn't wake up until 6:45!  What did I accomplish with the rest of the evening?  Well...not much.  I did a load of dishes, got gas for the mower, and picked up some shredded kleenexes that the dog left around.  My young ham friend came (almost at dark!) to mow the lawn.  He didn't get it all done so will have to return tomorrow to finish.  I consider myself lucky if I accomplish one or two things a night during the school week, so I guess tonight was somewhat successful--but somehow I think my evenings should be more productive.  I'm going to work on that!

Meg and Nathan have been invited to an "adults only" party on Saturday in Anderson, so I will go up on Saturday afternoon to babysit the grandchildrenwhile their parents enjoy some non-kid time with their friends from church.  We'll see how that goes!!