Us Right Now, September 2012

R is liking fourth grade, though all the cursive practice is frustrating for her. She took a break from piano this summer and just started back up again. As always, she loves any kind of creative play and is especially loving writing essays right now. (Poor kid. The child of two English teachers will never be normal.)

S is in kindergarten and loves it. He can read books by himself now and has worked really hard at learning to read. We routinely praise his efforts these days.

J will resume his master's next summer when he writes his thesis. As usual, he loves his teaching assignment, loves his classes, loves his job. He is truly a master of his trade.

Me? Well I am adjusting to a new position. It's temporary - only a year - at a middle school as a dean. There are certainly some things I love about the job, things I thought I wouldn't like. For example, I like middle school kids. And I like them a lot. They are still kids; they still play at recess. They are still willing to learn about their behavior. I never thought I would like a small school, but I get it now - I already know many students by name, which wouldn't happen at a school with over 2000 students. Because of the size, I can easily identify students who need some extra attention, see them in the halls regularly, and so on.

There are elements that have really challenged me, too. The adjustment hasn't been a simple one, that's for sure. I went from working at a school where I had a lot of friends, where I had a voice in what I did, but also in the direction of the school at large. As a new, temporary employee, my friendships are few and my role and vision are limited. On top of that, my hours are longer than I had expected; consequently, my goal to refocus on my family for this year has had to be readjusted.

Nevertheless, I am really glad I took the position. I get to learn from two different, though talented, administrators, and I get to see a different side of education on a day-to-day basis.

I am also working on getting my life organized again now that my master's is over. There is a lot of neglect around here - lots of weeds, dust, and piles of paper. Someday, I will feel I have conquered and not been conquered.

As a family, we are trying to figure out how to fit other organized activities into our kids' days. Between homework and piano, there doesn't seem to be much time. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. A musical instrument is a daily commitment, and homework for a scattered fourth grader takes hours.

I am glad to be blogging again.

Happy Thursday!