Learn It, Live It, Love it

Pacing Guides

Does your district use pacing guides?

Mine does, and I hate it. 

A pacing “guide” presents a time frame of when to teach the prescribed curriculum.  My department head (and several others) take it a step further by actually dictating what we should be teaching on what day.  With a few days throughout the unit built in, in case extra time is needed for the teaching point.

Do I even need to express how much this is NOT teaching?  I teach English Language Learners.  My department head expects me to teach them READING at the same pace as students who have spoken and read English their entire lives.

Also: If I come up with a really inspired project, or I find myself in the midst of a “teachable moment”—HOLD ON!  Let me check the pacing guide!!!!!

Nope, no time.  We gots to move on.

To be fair, I often flip off the pacing guide and if I feel I need to take time or do a project I do it.  Sadly, I feel as if I am doing something wrong.  If my dept. head stops by she would probably be unhappy, no matter how much learning is going on. 

It’s just really sad, and unfair that these strict guidelines are used in my district.  I’m wondering if other people face this issue in their schools.  I’m honestly getting to a point where I don’t know if I can work in a school with such ridiculous restrictions.

Today I started cleaning my classroom…

because I usually put it off and then it’s the last day of school and I’m like “Fuuuuuu-“(sidebar: totally cursed in front of students today.  Not the F word, but a serious curse (Crucio? No)  In my defense we had just dropped a puddle of dye on the classroom floor and only a few students were there.  It’s my one.  Let’s pretend it never happened).

ANYWHOZZLE: I have a lot of crap in my classroom.  My goal next year is to be more organized.  I always get caught up on the least important kinds of organization, though.  I’m like, “I MUST label all my paper bins so that students know what paper goes in what bin.”  Meanwhile, I have a mountain of ungraded projects where my desk supposedly is, but hasn’t been seen since October. 

I really am determined to cut down on loose papers and random piles next year, though.  Part of the problem in my classroom is that there isn’t a lot of space.  I end up piling things up or throwing them in a drawer/cabinet.  So, any tips (real ones, not just a link to 5001 ways to stay organized, please) for ways to get, and more importantly, STAY organized in the classroom?

How do you unwind or de-stress after a work day?

Some of my answers:

• Wine
• A bubble bath
• Read a book for MYSELF (not just as research)
• Exercise
• More wine

Got a great note from one of my students today…

along with some carnations that were being sold by the PTO.  It was so sweet—and the only good thing that happened this week. Thank god for my students. I’ll post the note tomorrow…because I’m in my pjs and I am too lazy to take a pic of it.

I didn’t want to go back to work today.

Like, really.  Lately I’ve been really frustrated with teaching (curriculum and administrator-wise) and I was just stewing over winter break.  After pulling myself out of bed and dragging myself to school I arrived to find that the server was down and I couldn’t print any of my plans.  I also found that the new duty schedule had not been made.  And I wasn’t excited about starting my Non-Fiction unit.

I actually said to a coworker “Why am I in this profession, again?”  Cynical, right? Mucho bitter and angry. 

However, when I started teaching, and talking with my kids, I smiled and my day got better.  They warmed me.  Then I became a teacher again: I was excited and I got them excited and they just kept making me smile.

I am still frustrated with my job.  But it is still the most worthwhile and fulfilling job in the world.  I will be in this profession forever because when I question it, my students answer back.