Listening: My friends in the Read 180 program record fluency passages on the computer as part of the program. I can log in from anywhere, listen to their recordings, and grade them all online. It is actually kind of cool.
Loving: SPRING! I am so ready for some warmer weather after all the snow we've had this winter. The past two days I was actually able to leave with just a light jacket on in the mornings.
Thinking: The blog redesign is underway! One of my goals was to clean up the tags on my blog posts to make it easier to find posts on specific topics. I actually thought I could sit down and do this fairly quickly. Not happening! It's not a terrible task, just time consuming. Plus, I'm trying to figure out how to get Blogger to let me delete some tags I don't want to use anymore. I'm so in awe of people who can do all these "computer things" with no effort!
Wanting: It is 10:32 on a Thursday night as I write this. I really wanted my lesson plans done before tomorrow so that I won't have to do them over the weekend. At this point, they are a bit more than half done. And yet here I sit working on a Currently. So, now I'm debating do I stay up late and get them done, get up super early and get them done, or just face reality and do it over the weekend. Sigh. . . I have a serious procrastination problem!
Needing: SPRING BREAK! I am so looking forward to it. One more week to go until I have a full week off. I'm so thankful that we were able to make up our snow days without losing most of our break. I don't have any travel plans or any other big plans, but sometimes you just need a break from school stuff. Not that I won't be doing some school work over the break, but I kind of love having the option of doing it all in my pajamas if I want to!
Hours & Last Day: So, yeah those are my teacher hours - 8:35-3:20. But, honestly it is so rare that those are my actual hours. Most mornings I get in early, and I can't remember the last time I left at 3:20! Not to mention all the work that still comes home. And, I am sure I'm preaching to the choir here. :-) Only teachers truly understand the myth of "teacher's hours." My last day is June 27th. I know that seems so late to my southern teachers who are well into summer vacation by them. It seems late to me, too! I remember when I started teaching we would get out mid June. It seems like out last day gets later and later as the years have gone by. The biggest issue is the heat. Our schools are not air conditioned. In late June during a heatwave, it can be pretty tough to get kids to do anything in a hot, sticky, second floor classroom!
I enjoyed reading your blog! I know you are so excited for spring break, I'm enjoying mine now.
ReplyDeletehttp://ktofirst.blogspot.com/
Hi Stephanie! Isn't Spring Break a wonderful thing?!
DeleteHi Nancy! I have been a blog follower of yours for the past three years. I have you used numerous of your suggestions and ideas in my own classroom! Not a week goes by that I don't use your awesome game Heartbreaker.
ReplyDeleteI am currently looking into some graduate programs and I was wondering if you had any suggestions. I have looked into Concordia University and my undergrad school (Northwest Missouri State University). Any suggestions would be great!
You're almost to spring break!
Megan
Hi Megan,
DeleteThanks so much for being such a loyal blog reader. I love hearing that you find some of my ramblings useful! :-)
I am sorry to have to say I probably won't be of much help to you with your school choices. I am not familiar with Concordia's or Northwest's programs. I can tell you that I have two Master's Degrees, one in reading and one in admin. Both are from the same university here in NJ that is pretty close to me and has a good reputation. I chose to attend a university with weekly classes to attend rather than do an online program because I really like the interaction and conversation that happens in the classroom. While many online programs have cyber classes where you either Skype or have to comment on a common thread from time to time, I had already done that with a couple of undergrad classes and knew it wasn't for me. So, that might be something to consider.
Also, a few years after I got my degrees, our district had a bit of a hubaloo about what online universities people were getting degrees from. They started to be more strict as to what online programs they would find acceptable and if they would allow tuition reimbursement for certain schools. It was a real issue for some teachers. I was thankful that I didn't have to deal with any of that.
Having said that, you also need to take into account the time and financial aspect of both. If you don't have a schedule that allows you to attend regularly scheduled classes, online classes might be less stressful and a better fit. Also, I believe the expense for an online degree is somewhat less. All thing to consider. Above all, make sure the school/program you pick is accredited. If for some reason you ever find yourself looking to work in a different district, you want to make sure your degree will stand up to review.
Hope this was somewhat helpful!
Nancy
Thanks Nancy that helped a lot!
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