Bye bye February!

Yesterday was a day full of planning. I woke up before 8:30, and got right to work on planning. I was productive until around 3, and then I just lost it. I could no longer focus or get a single thing done. It's so frustrating when that happens! It took me from 3 until about 7:30 pm to find motivation and get going again. I was finally able to finish what I was working on around 9:15 or so. I was trying to get my lesson plans done for my social studies unit.

Most of the time, I can just plan a lesson using whatever method I choose. I usually just type out notes in Word to help me remember what we are doing each day. For example, each reading unit has an outline with what we are doing each day. However, any lesson that I am observed teaching must have a formal lesson plan. We have a specific format we are required to use, and they must be well written! A good lesson plan for a 30 minute lesson could be anywhere from 3-8 pages! In addition to the lessons from when I'm observed, every lesson for my Teaching Work Sample (TWS) must have a formal lesson plan. We are only required to have 10 lessons for our TWS, but I am going to have approximately 16. So that means 16 formal lesson plans!

I start teaching my map unit tomorrow, so that means that I need 5 lesson plans done for this week. Yesterday I got the first three done.

Today I need to plan at least the first few days of reading for this week, but I'd love to get all 5 days planned. We'll see how it goes. I only have a couple of hours left to do it.

I was able to read a little bit this weekend, so that made me happy. I finished the book I was reading--it was very good! I probably should have spent that time planning, but I needed a break and some time to do something I enjoy.

Next weekend, my mom is going down to Lincoln to see my brother. I'd like to go with, but it really depends on how much I can get done. If I don't get my planning done, there would be no point in making the long trip to just sit in his apartment and work all weekend. I'm going to work extra hard to try to get both this week and next week all planned, so I can go and enjoy the weekend away!

This morning in Sunday school I had 9 little ones! It was a bit chaotic, because I had a nasty headache (allergies, I think). They were playing quite loudly, and I just wanted to walk out and go home! Obviously that wasn't an option. Once it was time for our Bible story and snack, they settled down and were quiet. :) I do enjoy teaching this class--it's such a fun age.

I am still having a lot of pain in my legs and feet. My right leg hurts badly almost all the time--the right side of my leg and my knee. I get cramps or something similar in my left leg, but rarely have long-term pain there. My right leg though--ouch! The pain is so hard to handle, and totally ruins my concentration and focus. I can be doing really well planning or teaching a lesson... and then the pain flares up and I struggle.

Overall, though, things are going well. This week I will be teaching almost all morning. The students start the day with special (computer, guidance, gym, art, music...) and so they don't even start their time in the classroom until 9:30 or so. Recess is at 10:10, and then I will teach from 10:30-12. That only leaves one tiny spot for my cooperating teacher to teach in the morning. Then in the afternoon I teach from 1-2:10.

I love how sunny it has been lately, and today it was even pretty warm! It's 26 degrees right now (feels like 19). I think it was even warmer than that when church got out, though. I had to take my gloves off and it was not too cold without them! :) I can't wait for 40s and 50s! I'm so glad tomorrow is March. I really dislike February as a month and love it when March rolls around. I just hope it continues to get nicer instead of colder!

I need to go read the story for reading this week so I can do some planning. I don't know how busy I'll be this week and if I'll have a chance to update, but hopefully I'll be so busy planning so I can go to Nebraska!