Tuesday Topics: September 2023 Review

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Yay for September being almost over!  I am rarely ever excited for a month to be over.  Now I am because it has been one heck of a month.  As I’ve mentioned, school is a circus, and I am learning to walk carefully on the tighrope without falling.  I haven’t been lucky.

Let me tell you about how September went for me:

Mileage:  September was not a good month of running.  I went out running yesterday for 20 minutes.  Before that, my last run was on September 1.  To date, I’ve run 2.48 and walked 16.29 miles.

Current Book:  I finished reading “The Guide” and was very happy when I finished it.  It wasn’t that exciting but I also didn’t want to stop reading it.  I was determined to finish it.  

I am currently reading “Beautiful World, Where Are You”.  So far it is OK but more interesting than The Guide.  😀

2023 Running Goal:  I am saying goodbye to my goal.  No way will I run 386 miles in 3 months.  This year wasn’t my year for running.  I did the best I could and am OK with it.  I will continue to run and will be happy with whatever number I end up with on December 31. 

What I would like to do now is run or walk every day.  

Injuries:  None.  I am sore from yesterday’s run.  I know I need to keep showing up to either run or walk and I will no longer be sore.

Races:  None.

Health:  I am doing OK.  I am sleeping better but now need to watch what I eat.  I’ve noticed my shorts feel a bit tight.

School:  I was looking forward to the new school year.  I began the school year with 21 students and now have 20.  One student came in 2 weeks after school started and then two students were moved to a GE (English-only) classroom.

It’s been a rough 5 weeks.  My students talk a lot and don’t follow directions.  When I ask them a question, many do not answer.  I am left wondering if it is me or them.  Regardless, it is frustrating.

We have a new Reading curriculum.  We’ve had minimal training yet I was expected to assess my students in English and Spanish.  Luckily, one of the interventionists helped me.  I have to teach Reading in both languages (remember, no training) and have spent HOURS reviewing lessons and trying to figure out what to do.  The assessments are long and they’re pen and paper so I have to manually grade each assessment.  Then we enter the data into one program (MasterConnect) and then into another one (PowerSchool) for grades.  I do this for 3 different components of the curriculum (Knowledge and then Skills in English and Spanish).  Let’s not forget that I also teach Math, Science, and Social Studies.

New this year is an extra 30 minutes we spend with the students either helping them in Reading or Math.  I am doing Math.  Each day is a different lesson and thankfully I don’t have to write the lessons but it is another session I need to prepare for every day. 

I am mentally exhausted.  I have been neglecting myself.  I am actually surprised I haven’t quit yet.  Yesterday was a good day for me.  I went out for a run.  I had a good day with my students.  We couldn’t go out for recess because of the rain but had fun doing various indoor activities.  We did the Chicken Dance and the Macarena (school version).  I think they were surprised to see me have fun with them!

Thanks for reading.  I hope that for next month’s review, I will write more positive things about school.  Or maybe write about something more exciting.

The topic for next week:  Tell us what you love about living in your town/city/state.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!