It is around this time of year that teachers start to feel what I will dub "Quarter-Grade Fatigue". All of the papers that we have not graded begin to haunt our dreams, make us feel unorganized and inept, and cause stress acne, back pain, or neck tension.
This morning during our AVID PD I could see the fatigue on my colleagues faces. I am sure they are looking at me every time I volunteer an answer and thinking "shut up, Flansburg, you're making us look bad." That's not my purpose; my purpose is to, of course, speak my mind, and also to help the people running the PD. Our staff this morning was a tough crowd. They are normally so responsive and willing to work, but QGF is a strong force.
Some teachers are comfortable taking a day off to catch up. I like this idea, but have never done it.
This morning I looked at the bags under my eyes, and then looked at my to-do list and said to myself "tomorrow you are going to be 'sick.'" But when I went to request a sub I thought about the facilitating that my lesson would require and decided that I would rather be in class than have a sub. I care about my job, I want my students to succeed, and I truly value my time in the classroom. What I NEED is a teacher work day.
One of my wonderful colleagues, another Union rep, suggested a great idea. At the end of first quarter we should have a 4-day weekend for the students, and a 3-day weekend for the teachers. The teachers get a day to catch up and a day to relax, while the students get to enjoy the "fruits" of their labor.
Until we make this happen, I will just have to plug away at my to-do list as best I can, and dream of Thanksgiving break. *sigh*
This morning during our AVID PD I could see the fatigue on my colleagues faces. I am sure they are looking at me every time I volunteer an answer and thinking "shut up, Flansburg, you're making us look bad." That's not my purpose; my purpose is to, of course, speak my mind, and also to help the people running the PD. Our staff this morning was a tough crowd. They are normally so responsive and willing to work, but QGF is a strong force.
Some teachers are comfortable taking a day off to catch up. I like this idea, but have never done it.
This morning I looked at the bags under my eyes, and then looked at my to-do list and said to myself "tomorrow you are going to be 'sick.'" But when I went to request a sub I thought about the facilitating that my lesson would require and decided that I would rather be in class than have a sub. I care about my job, I want my students to succeed, and I truly value my time in the classroom. What I NEED is a teacher work day.
One of my wonderful colleagues, another Union rep, suggested a great idea. At the end of first quarter we should have a 4-day weekend for the students, and a 3-day weekend for the teachers. The teachers get a day to catch up and a day to relax, while the students get to enjoy the "fruits" of their labor.
Until we make this happen, I will just have to plug away at my to-do list as best I can, and dream of Thanksgiving break. *sigh*
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