Done with that

So I finished writing my report cards today. That means I'm officially done for this school year. But like most official kinds of pronouncements, like speed limits, for example, this has only a limited relationship with reality. I can't speak for anyone else, but I still have a lot to do.

Part of this is due to my method of preparation, which isn't what one would call systematic. Class is like improv for me, so detailed preparation only happens when the students or I or both really require it, like, for example, a test, or even introducing a new, difficult topic.

I should note hear that I'm glad to be free of report cards, because now I can write "difficult" and not the euphemistic "challenging."

Layer on to my lack of system a kind of all-in approach to teaching and you get someone who is exhausted and completely disorganized at the end of the year. And it's made worse by the kinds of years the past two have been. Last year I dealt with very difficult family issues for most of the school year and it was miraculous that I even made it through. I reacted to the end of the school year by running away at the first opportunity and not looking back until September when, if you recall, I got almost instantly sick and stayed that way for 3 months.

When I came back I was not 100% and was scrambling to keep on top of things. So let's fast forward until the end of the year and I gaze upon my desk and begin to unravel everything that's piled there. Why did I have 6 pairs of scissors on my desk? I'm not a big RPS guy and I don't think you play RPS with actual scissors, just saying. And I even doubt that people who sell scissors for a living have 6 pair on their desks. I know why I had them; I need them for something and couldn't find my pair or that last 4 that I'd borrowed from the supply drawer. There were lots of things on the desk like that. Multiple copies of worksheets that were there because I couldn't find the last copy I'd made 3 or 4 times.

Since I don't want to start next year the way I finished this one, I have now taken everything on my desk, thrown out as many duplicates as I could, made piles for each of the classes I taught this year, for club materials, for general school type stuff (like our mission statement, which I am proud to say is the Worlds Longest Mission Statement- nearly 2 pages! Now that's making a statement!) Today I threw out pile after pile of copied AP Calculus worksheets. And even more fun, got to reorder pages of lesson plans that had gotten scrambled. I'm a math teacher, so I sure do love putting things in numerical order.

All kidding aside, I would love to start in the fall and not be immediately despairing that I don't know where my Algebra worksheets are and so have to go and make yet another set of photocopies. No worries though- even if that happens I'm sure to find the other ones next summer.