T.G.I. Thursday

Yay!!! It's Friday.  Well, it's Thursday, but it's MY Friday.  Meaning, the last day of my work week.  After all of that snow, we still managed to hold on to Good Friday as a day off, and I couldn't be more thankful.

I am EX-HAUS-TED!  I feel like a zombie.  I'm moving, but there's nothing really going on inside.  I'm too tired to really think.  I've only been going at it for three days, yet this week has felt like one of the longest weeks yet.

There's been softball practice, baseball practice, show choir tryouts, tonight there's a track meet.  I haven't been home this week before 8PM, and I haven't been making my way to bed until well after 10PM.  Then, I'm up at 5AM the next morning.

But, I could write this pretty much any week for the next couple of months.  I better get used to it, now, because it's not going to stop any time soon.  Hectic is my life right now, and it's just taking a little getting used to... but I'm doing it.

There's only two more weeks until our state MAP testing, and I'm starting to feel the pressure.  Part of me has accepted that the time has come, and the kids will do the best they can.  Another part of me is thinking that the kids have basically checked out for the year and will just want to get through the test as quickly as possible, without really thinking about it at all.

This week, we have been taking practice tests and the kids haven't exactly done their "best".  And, it's frustrating.  Frustrating because I know they know the content, frustrating because I know they don't really understand the importance, and frustrating because several of them really don't show any sign of caring about test results at all.  And, why should they?  They are 10 and 11 years old.  Trying to explain the importance of state standardized testing is like trying to teach them quantum physics.  They don't understand, and they don't really want to.

It's the time of year when I really start to feel the stress.  We've spent the entire school year teaching, learning, following pacing guides, learning standards, and core objectives.  We've watched our students improve, grow, and understand so much more than they did at the beginning of the year.  Yet, all of the work we've done this year has to be neatly wrapped up in a standardized test.  And, if the kids don't really try and do their absolute best on that test, then nobody else will get to see and understand all of the hard work we've put in all year.

It's not fair.  But that's how it is.

So, I'm tired.  I'm stressed.  I'm ready for this test to be over so that I can go back to my regular scheduled programming. But, until then I'll just do what I need to do and try my absolute best and try and motivate the kids to try and do their absolute best.

Thankfully, this week, I get an extra day off to destress, rest, and recuperate.  It's needed... even after having an extra month off of school because of snow.  Probably more so after having an entire month off of school because of snow, because that's really intensified all of the feelings I'm feeling right now.

My plan is to get through today, spend the evening watching my kids take part in a track meet, come home and sit on the couch for the rest of the evening.  Then, spend a long weekend not thinking about work, tests, or how many days I have left to prepare my kiddos for their tests.

I'm just going to relax.  I'm going to have some fun.  And I'm going to enjoy my weekend.

Happy Thursday, everyone!