diary of a twenty-something teacher, part 1

What a day. In my fast-paced, never ending to-do list of a life I already feel strapped for time, but since we set the clocks back one hour I feel like I am absolutely scrambling to get things done before bedtime. The sky was practically pitch-black when I walked out of my tutoring appointment at 5:00 this evening. I know I say it over and over and over again, but seriously - where does the time go?!

Today was a typical Wednesday for this young lady: out of bed by six to scarf down some breakfast and throw on some clothes (no, I did not shower this morning - what of it?) and race to school with coffee in hand, usually spilling a little on my clothes. Lucky for me, our class rotation was not one of my "busy" days, so I had time to be bombarded with teenagers looking for help on term papers that are due on Friday. Term paper season is not the most wonderful time of the year. I look forward to its conclusion and the start of Christmas music, hot cocoa, and shopping for gifts... If anyone out there thinks that teachers have an "easy" job, with the shorter hours and summers off, I will be more than happy to set you straight. For the last few weeks, I have been living and breathing research papers: consulting with students, editing drafts, grading outlines, and responding to emails sent at 2 a.m. from children panicking about not meeting deadlines or not knowing how to properly insert footnotes. That is on top of the lesson planning and homework/test/project grading that I already do outside of school. That is on top of the three clubs I run and the extra paperwork I have to fill out to meet new state evaluation requirements and contract negotiations. That is on top of the union meetings I attend nearly every week and the tutoring I do on the side just to make ends meet. That is on top of the professional development courses I take to stay on top of my game and to meet state PD requirements. That is on top of the countless other things I could name, but I think you get the point. And in the summer, do not forget the teacher workshops I attend and extra work I do to help pay the bills when school isn't in session, or the lesson planning I have to do for the new course preparation I seem to receive every year. Phew!! I promise that I am not complaining, just patting myself on the back. Good job, me! It is a good thing this is what I signed up for, otherwise I am not sure I could handle a list like this (and I am someone who LOVES lists). Good luck to all you fellow worker bees out there. 

Tomorrow, I start working on that bucket list.