i have an issue

I have an issue because I have so much to type but no time to do it.  I promise I will be back soon with lots of information from the NMSC.  Thank you for being patient.

and i'm back

well the conference was amazing! i have learned so much and i will begin on posting on things tomorrow.  i had two students suspended while i was away so i'm extremely nervous to see what my classroom looks like.  i heard they were loud (from my neighbor whos' deaf in one year) and i know that the sub tried to send a bunch of kids to ISS each day.  He is known for doing that and well i called to check in.  I am giving a vocab quiz tomorrow for my first two classes so we will see how that goes.

national middle school conference 2011

it's past midnight and i'm still packing for the 2011 national middle school conference in kentucky.  i can't wait!!! i was able to attend last year's conference in baltimore and loved every second of it.  i learned so much and being the nerd i am have already looked up trainings i want to attend.  i can't wait.  we leave around 6:30 tomorrow morning which means no sleep for me tonight.  i am not a morning person so i'm always afraid i'll sleep through my alarm(s).  it's a problem i've had since college.  anyone planning on attending this fabulous event?  i know i have been mia since fall break but getting back into the swing of things after two weeks off is difficult.  i loved having the break but starting school back the monday that is also halloween was insane.  i am done with volleyball season but now i'm on to yearbook and that's difficult too.  i have to hold my yearbook classes after school and well that's not really working for me.  how does one create a yearbook once a week after school? i barely have time to plan for my other classes.  i wish i could give up a planning period to do this but that is not allowed.  i am also trying to get some order in to my house so that my husband and i aren't buried alive under all this clutter.  don't call hoarders yet but sometimes it feels like i'm being buried alive.  we have a cleaning lady who comes to visit once every other week and don't judge if you knew that cleaning wasn't your thing you'd have one too.  we have budgeted for her and i won't give that one up.  but with said amazing cleaning lady she tends to stuff things in places (my closet) and so every time i start a project if leticia doesn't stuff the mess (the cleaning i'm doing) somewhere my husband does which then means back to square one.  i need a professional organizer but those are definitely not in the budget.  okay well now that i have gotten all this off my chest i am going to put my clothes in a suitcase and finish purging some clothes!  sweet dreams y'all

fall break

i am on fall break and loving it! i will be on fall break for the next two weeks.  two weeks you might ask?  my school system decided to move towards year round schooling this year and so we started august 1 which means we get a two week fall break.  i have come to visit my parents in south carolina.  i haven't been here since my wedding in march and i love it here.  there is nothing quite like the south! i have also spent a few days of my fall break catching up on my reading and getting some work done.  i didn't bring anything to grade but i am a little behind on making lesson plans so i needed to get caught up (and move ahead) i am not behind on the lessons but i don't have everything written out the way i like it.  i'm a smidge ocd and like things color coded, organized, etc.  anyone else on fall break?

welcome to my classroom...

This is the door to my classroom.  I thought it was a nice way to show the books that we have been reading.

tis the season...

tis the season of volleyball which somewhat explains my being MIA.  i am the volleyball coach for my school and just to tell you how much volleyball experience i have had in my life let's discuss the rules of my team. 
rule #1 - don't hit ms. l with the ball
rule #2 - seriously don't hit ms. l with the ball

we started our season two weeks early which threw me for a loop because most of my girls had yet to get their physicals for the first game.  AWESOME way to start the season and what an awesome season it was.  here's some of the key moments.
       i had a parent want to help coach but their child wasn't allowed on my team this year due to her not attending my school. 
      i found out that i didn't have the correct coaching creditionals and had to take two more classes.
      i gained an assistant coach (which now means i have to assist with softball)
      i watched some shy girls come out of their shells
      i watched  few girls play like me (scared of the ball) only to become team leaders
      we had volleyballs donated by my grandfather (which was awesome!)
    
we ended the volleyball season this morning at the all-city tournament and while i am very happy to have my time back i will miss the girls.  after the tournament we eat lunch at mcdonalds and today while standing in line i watched a bunch of girls sitting at the tables laughing and having fun with each other not to mention a few of them getting excited for next season and those are the moments i will miss.  those are the moments it's okay that most of my girls broke the number 1 rule today at the tournament and hit me with the ball four times, it's okay that i never left work until 5:30 or later all month, it's okay that i rarely saw my husband for more than an hour each night, and it's definitely okay that i have lost my voice three times this month. 

i am truly blessed to love my job, to love my school, and love my students as my own and for that it's okay that i don't love volleyball, i don't love being a coach (i'm all about the fun factor not the winning factor.)

i promise to come back to blogging this month.  i have lots to share and want to start showing my classroom ideas off (finally!) thanks for being patient my lovely followers!

crazy, wonderful life...

we started school august 1 and haven't stopped running since.  my school is very short handed which means i am now the department head for english, still volleyball coach, the only returning english teacher, member of the leadership team, yearbook advisor, and of course returning vice president of a committee i never know the name of.  (great right?) let's start with my school being short handed, we lost quite a few teachers this school year due to people leaving, retiring, and the district not giving people contracts in time.  (i signed my contract the FRIDAY before school started.) we had all new administration and after the first week one of our new vice principals got a fantastic job offer as a head principal so she's gone.  new new vp will be starting after labor day hopefully.  fingers crossed! now we're moving to volleyball, everyone's favorite topic!   i have this rule that because i teach at a public school i won't cut a student (thank you remember the titans!) but it's true.  i coach middle school volleyball and rule #1 is don't hit me with the ball i think i should keep as many girls as possible.  with all that said that doesn't mean the other coaches don't give free, unwanted, unasked for, advice.  if you want to tell me what to do then please continue coaching my team but until you have to stay late every night to help me back off.  this has been happening since last year and while i would love "help" i don't love being told what i should be doing in front of the kids.  come coach a practice, come be my assistant coach but don't tell me what to do in the hallway.  i also dislike hearing how my volleyball girls are doing this, doing that in your class.  i can only do so much as i am one person!  they know the rules of being on my team (letter went out friday with a practice schedule - points for me!) i am so sick of people telling me how to do stuff because i'm young.  if you know how to do it all then do it!  i am not sure of some things but i know that i am an awesome teacher.  how do i know this? i know this because i love my job, i spend all my spare time working, grading, planning, thinking of ideas, etc.  i am at school at 8:30 most days for mornng meetings, to plan (we don't have to be there until 8:50) and leave around 6 depending on when my kids get picked up from practice, and what work i have left to do.  not to mention that i will ASK for your advice when i need it, or want it.  ok done sorry! apparently i have been bottling all that up for a few weeks.  i think that is enough of a post for this morning.  i will discuss the other stuff tomorrow.  (i will be posting again shocking i know!) hope everyone is having a safe and great weekend.