Well, it's been a crazy year this year! Lots of ups and downs, not at all what I was expecting. Not that different expectations are a bad thing... here's my life in review :)
The ups:
The ups:
- IRELAND! I'm so glad I went to Camp 101... despite all the negatives going in (mainly my illness) I met so many amazing people that I still believe are in my life - thank you Facebook - and did more on my own. It also made me realize I need to do things on my own terms, and really made me start planning my year of travel. Ireland, whether you like it or not, I will return (but my Irish friends, you should come here to experience SK life - or at least head to Calgary to enjoy the Rocky Mountains and I'll meet you there!)
- BAND job! Since finishing school in 2007, I've only subbed in a band classroom. Now, I'm on a (small) permanent position where I teach grade 6-8 students music. We're going through the learning curve together, but we have survived one band concert and they seem to be enjoying (and learning something).
- Still working at the high school, with a wonderful staff and support system. Being in a building that really looks out for each other (professionally and personally) is a huge deal, and something I'm not taking for granted.
- People! I have wonderful friends and family that I can't imagine being without, and don't know if I could've survived the year without. You know who you are (and really, it's all of you!), and I can't thank you enough.
The downs:
- My health: nothing is resolved... and I have to wait at least 2 more years for another test. I have a CPAP (sleep apnea machine) to use in the meantime... maybe in 2013 it will help.
- School: this has been the most stressful semester I have ever taught. Between the new band stuff (which hasn't been stressful), I have taught lots of new curricula, with at least 33 and 43 students in each of my HS classes. To top it off, I'm trying to co-teach arts ed, but with the division of minutes, we don't really co-teach, but teach the same subjects separately. It's been exhausting and I don't feel comfortable with it. Top with driving 15km in busy traffic every lunch period, and not exactly all the prep time I should get (it's complicated), I can't feel very successful. It's the first time I've dealt with threats, angry parents, apathy from students, not enough desks for the students, all within the same semester. I do not feel like I've been the best teacher I could be this semester - and I hate that feeling!
Here's hoping that 2013 is better than 2012, but I'm going to enjoy the ride.
Thank you all for everything you do/say/think/support... I hope 2013 is a year full of health, happiness, and making your dreams come true!
Ali
There is definitely co-teaching happening in the division, but just not in arts I suppose?
ReplyDeleteThe way our schedule and division of minutes is split up, it's really difficult. It was a weird situation we were thrown into - and in November, not the beginning of term; I ended up taking some of the arts minutes... up to 75/class/week, some only 25. It's no one's fault, or really a concern, just more stress figuring it out. It was never presented as co-teaching - it was "we need prep covered, and now the kids will have 2 different experiences." If it stays the same next year, I'm hoping to at least co-plan.
ReplyDeleteI reread the paragraph - I revised it to say division of MINUTES... it's not the actual divison. Sorry!
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