Workshop week is a week of meetings and time to work in the classroom. Today I worked in my classroom along side a high school student. Maybe it's because I tend to throw things in drawers and cupboards at the end of the year, but the first day working in my room is always a bit overwhelming. P was taking care of the bulletin boards, posters, and labeling books while I was putting away school supplies and cleaning out drawers and cupboards. When I left to my afternoon meeting, I felt calm knowing P was still working, and the major "room stuff" would be done when I returned.
It's not only the room preparation that is stressful these days in education. Knowing our students didn't make AYP (adequate yearly progress) is also a cause for stress. I think it is especially overwhelming for math, reading, and language arts teachers. Today our principal took some of that pressure away as he expressed his belief that it is a school wide effort to continue to work with our students in the improvement of these test scores. Actually, I was impressed that he downplayed the importance of the tests while he shared the importance of improvement.
Leaving school today was a much more relaxed feeling than leaving school yesterday. Maybe it was a more active day. Maybe it was less people talking at me. Maybe it was actually getting some of MY stuff done. Maybe it was because it was school focused and not district focuse. The reason doesn't matter. I am happy to have two of the five workshop days finished.
It's not only the room preparation that is stressful these days in education. Knowing our students didn't make AYP (adequate yearly progress) is also a cause for stress. I think it is especially overwhelming for math, reading, and language arts teachers. Today our principal took some of that pressure away as he expressed his belief that it is a school wide effort to continue to work with our students in the improvement of these test scores. Actually, I was impressed that he downplayed the importance of the tests while he shared the importance of improvement.
Leaving school today was a much more relaxed feeling than leaving school yesterday. Maybe it was a more active day. Maybe it was less people talking at me. Maybe it was actually getting some of MY stuff done. Maybe it was because it was school focused and not district focuse. The reason doesn't matter. I am happy to have two of the five workshop days finished.
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