From TGIF to OMG

My Facebook friends, and others whom I know, and myself when I was teaching, all give the Friday rally call of TGIF. Thank God it’s Friday. Exhausted, ready for the weekend, seeking some time to ourselves. Except now, my husband and I wake up, and when we realize it’s Friday, it’s OMG, how did it get to be Friday ALREADY.

I think I’ve figured this out. When teaching, I was working so hard all week and each day was measured, but none of the time was my own. Now, every day is my own, and although I have worked all week, it’s been on activities that excite me.

I had one meeting this week, and I could hardly believe two hours flew by and I needed to get home so I could fix dinner. I spent hours doing research and making phone calls for the microfinance startup where I am working a couple of days a week yet I also had time to bake and cook. Terry and I took off on Wednesday and drove to Yosemite just to see God’s wonders in our own backyard.

Half Dome viewed from Taft Point

I edited photos and uploaded a batch to Flickr. And this morning we woke up and said, “Oh my gosh, it’s Friday. We only have two days left in Fresno to get a whole lot of work done. How did that happen?”

Today I am taking the chicken enchilada dish I prepared yesterday and heading back to the inner city high school for another birthday party for one of my teaching buddies. I know they will all be tired and ready for a weekend as this was an insane week for them what with grade distribution thrown in there on top of all the other work they have to do. I remember that week so well that it still makes me ache when I think about it. I, on the other hand, am well rested, and filled with ideas for the work I will do next week–writing a piece for the Laotian medical nonprofit for whom I volunteer, continuing my pursuit of an SMS provider for the microfinance startup, and talking with an organization for whom I may do some tutoring. OMG, Life is so exciting.

State testing wreaks havoc with schedules

We have started the mandated state testing for high schools.  This past week we spent 3 hours on Tuesday taking language arts and 3 hours on Wednesday with social science.  I am fortunate as I am testing all 11th graders so all the materials were the same.   Some classrooms had as many as three sets of tests, one for each grade level.

Since we spend the three hours in testing during the morning, lunch comes earlier and then afterwards we have four periods, yet out of order.  Tuesday was periods 5, 6, and 1; Wednesday was periods 2, 3, 4, 7.  This next week we will do it again, taking math tests on Tuesday, and science tests on Wednesday.  

This chaotic schedule came on the heels of our grade distribution night, where the teachers set up shop in the school’s gym from 3 to 7 (after teaching all day) for parents to pick up quarterly grades and meet with teachers.   Then it’s back to school at 7 the next morning to pick up testing materials, set up the classroom, and squeeze as much out of the time as possible.

I am not proctoring on Tuesday as that is our senior portfolio day for business students.  Although a big deal for our department, the rest of the school ignores what we do.  No other department has a culminating activity for its students unless you count IB tests, for which the school does make a HUGE, BIG, DEAL. 

My marketing students presented their business plans to Fresno State University people at the end of the week and the multimedia students are working on a big project for a local nonprofit.  Even with the testing, we keep teaching school.  Sort of like building the airplane in midair, during flight.