June: a month in review

This blog is getting harder and harder to keep up with. Every now and then I'll think, "Oh, I should blog about that..." and then I never do. So now it's June, and we've got a lot of catching up to do.

Basically, June consisted of the usual end-of-the-year craziness: grades, report cards, honors list, awards list, cleaning up classroom, packing up classroom. This year was particularly rough because we had to say goodbye to two teachers (one being transferred, one retiring) and our principal (who accepted a position at a new school).

Last week was basically a blur. Our last day of school was a 10 AM dismissal. As soon as school was finished, I picked up a friend and we headed for NY to visit another friend for the weekend. On Sunday morning, I got a text from my best friend's husband saying she was in labor two weeks early. Two hours later, I got another text that her son was born (healthy and strong!). A few hours later I got some baby pics sent to my phone, which were immediately followed by a phone call from the new mom. (Gotta love cell phones... instant news, pics and updates!) Then when I got home, I found out that my uncle (and godfather) had passed away rather suddenly on Saturday night. Talk about emotional roller coaster.

On Monday I went to visit my friend and her baby in the hospital. That night, I got a phone call from a school district that I had applied to back in February. They wanted me to come in for an interview. So Tuesday was spent doing laundry and fixing up my portfolio, Wednesday I entertained my cousin's kids for the day (my uncle had lived with them, and I wanted to get them out of the house for awhile while funeral preparations were being made), Thursday was the interview (extremely demanding... felt like an inquisition) and Thursday night was my uncle's viewing. Friday morning was the funeral... and after it was over, I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep on the sofa watching bad TV. Which is exactly what I did.

This week, I have teacher workshops every morning from 9-12 at a local college (my attendance earns me $50 a day). The workshop I signed up for is geared for teachers in grades 1-3, and it gives ideas for getting kids exciting about learning science. So far I'm lovin' it. It's very hands on. Today we made a working thermometer out of a water bottle, a drinking straw and a solution of water and alcohol. Very, very cool.

And on Sunday, I leave for Australia. I don't even wanna talk about that. I'm nowhere near ready to leave the country for three weeks. I have to crack down and start packing soon. Very soon. Yikes.