Sunday, April 21, 2013

Weekly Wrap-up for April 21, 2013: Drained.

I am sure I'm not alone when I say I am feeling drained from the events of the past week. It has been a very emotional week from the events in Boston and Texas, and I'm hoping we all get some good news this week. :)

I've also had a lot going on at school, so perhaps that is adding to my feelings of being drained. While my kids have been working pretty independently on their research projects, I haven't gotten nearly as much done as I planned. I've been trying to concentrate on prepping the remainder of my history lessons for the rest of the year, but now I'm behind on grading...it's a never ending cycle of paperwork! I have managed to create the notes sheets for my history class through almost the last chapter-only 3 sections to go (I use column notes-first column has questions, the second is for students to fill in as they read the sections on their own, the third column is for them to add additional information when I lecture or when we have class discussions. They work really well and the kids like them). That's a big relief, but now I need to finish my lecture powerpoints and find some creative things for them to do!

I'm also digging around to find some new stories and material for my American lit units through the end of the year: Post-Modernism, Science Fiction, and contemporary lit. If you have any ideas, please share!

In reading news...well, let's be honest. There is no reading news. This Side of Paradise and Anna Karenina are still sitting on my nightstand. I simply don't have the time right now to read...I've resigned myself to being okay with not finishing anything else this month. I probably won't have spare time until the middle of May (when all my english class projects are done) to dive into some reading. Oh well. I have enough of a backlog of books to post about that it should be fine. :)

It is also looking more and more like I won't be working a traditional job this summer. I had originally planned on going back to the park part-time, but I don't think my health is going to let me. I think I might be working for our Summer Music Theater through the end of June and the first week of July, so that will be enough to get me through the summer. :) I'm really just looking forward to some time off. I have a writing project knocking around in my head that I would like to finish by the time school restarts in September, and of course, lots and lots of books.

Anyway, I need to edit some posts for this week, and then I have piles of grading and planning to do. Have a lovely week!

2 comments:

  1. I felt likewise clobbered by the events of the week and my dedication to finish Jane Eyre ahead of my students (just made it!) Summer is almost here.

    I am commenting because I saw your call for "Post Modernism, sci fi, and contemporary lit." I surely have some suggestions for you, though I am blanking out a bit.

    Here are some titles that might help. They are all American works from 1950s-present at the very least. Perhaps they're useful, maybe not.

    "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams
    "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Bradbury
    "Harrison Bergeron" by Vonnegut
    "Helen on 86th Street" by Wendi Kaufmann

    -Aaron

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  2. Sending lots of good wishes for your health and joy through the next few weeks, Allie. x Volunteering at the music theatre sounds SO FUN. I might have to do something like that one of these days. And a writing project -- great! Have fun!! xx

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