Stuff, just random stuff

The new semester has gotten started, and so far, so good!  I have three preps this semester which is a lot, but I didn't have to take one of them.  I was already going to have one class of English 11 and the rest were English 12, but we needed another remediation class for the language arts part of the graduation exam.  Because of some changes last semester, Misty was only scheduled for two classes this semester, so Mr. Reyes asked her about teaching the remediation class.  She told him she would but she offered to let me take it if I wanted to so that I could cut down on the number of research papers to grade this spring.  I jumped on it!  My last block class was only going to have about 16 students, but having 16 fewer papers to grade was enough for me to take the remediation!

My English 11 class only has 18 students, and I am LOVING them!  I think they might end up being my favorite class, personality wise.  My English 12 classes have 28 and 29 in them.  I am enjoying them, too, but they haven't shown a real personality yet.  My remediation class has 11 students, and I am having a great time with them, too.  I am TERRIFIED though because the AHSGE exam will be giving Feb. 28-Mar. 4.  I really hope to get these kids skills up by then!  I feel more responsibility with them than I do my English classes.  I have 16 more weeks to cover everything that needs to be done in English, but if these kids don't get it by Feb. 28, those who are seniors won't graduate.  Wow!  Maybe doing those extra 16 research papers wouldn't have been so bad.  :)

I have an intern this semester, too!  So far, so good there, too!  She started doing the bell ringers and taking attendance last week.  The kids are beginning to respond to her, and she seems to be feeling comfortable with making decisions.  This week, she will watch me teach the second part of Beowulf to our 3rd block class, and then she will teach it to our 4th block class.  And then next week, she's going to take both English 12 classes and do the Iliad.  It feels kind of weird to sit at the back table and watch.

We have a former student who is a yoga instructor who is starting classes at the school tomorrow.  I'm going to give it a shot!  My energy level is at rock bottom, so I hope that this will be something that will give me a boost.  I know I need to exercise and lose some of this weight.  Since this is AT the school, right AFTER school, and other TEACHERS will be there, I won't have an excuse for not going.  John and I went to Opelika today so I could get a mat and blocks.  Since I invested $$$, I will be more likely to stick with it.  I did buy a couple of pairs of yoga pants and a couple tops, too.  Even if I didn't stick with the classes, I will wear the pants and tops.  The Wellness Center at the hospital here in Dadeville offers zumba classes.  I want to do those, too.  I think they are Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if I did that PLUS yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays, I should begin to see a difference.

Jess is still having some pregnancy sickness, but we're hoping she is finished with hospital stays until July.  :)  If she can keep her sodium and potassium levels up, she can handle the nausea with meds at home.  Her home health nurse worked it out so that she can take her supplies home with her and only go see the nurse when supplies are getting low.  Her insurance will cover home health in the tri-county area only, and Chambers Co. is not in the tri-county area, so it was great that they are able to work it out for her.  We should find out if our little Peanut is a he-nut or a she-nut in the next two or three weeks...I think!  I keep trying to make her a week farther along than she really is.  :)

We've had plenty of cold weather, and I'm ready to tell it good-bye!  I am not a cold-weather person at all!  I love summer and everything that goes along with it, and it can't get here soon enough.  If I were in control of our weather, it would stay between 70-95 year round.  I would keep night temps in the lower to mid-60s.  Or maybe I should convince John we just need to move to a nice tropical isle.  Hmmm...nah.  That would be too far from my family and friends! 

My friend Mary is getting a sweet baby rattie!  Nichole sent me a FB message saying they had 9 new babies who needed homes.  The momma had to have a c-section, and they really needed to sell the babies to pay the vet bill.  I knew Bill had been wanting a pup, so I mentioned it to Mary.  They went to look and bought Claire. She is too stinkin' cute!  AND she is Ali's niece!!  I told Mary that I would love to plan a play date for the girls.  Bama is too set in his ways to play with a baby.  Ali will be okay if it's just her, but she usually takes big brother's lead. 

I'm going to be taking an online class this spring.  Amy is taking the same one, too, so maybe she and I can bounce ideas off one another.  It's on designing a virtual field trip.  Karen assures me that it won't be too difficult and that I'll enjoy it.  The best thing is that by taking this one class, I will have all of my PD hours and then some.  Actually, the best thing is that it's FREE!  But I am scared that I'll do a crappy job.  I haven't taken a formal class in 15 years!  Sheesh!  I honestly didn't realize it had been that long since I finished my master's. 

I guess that's about it for my random stuff.  I hope it isn't as long before I post again.  For the last two weeks, I've been coming in and crashing.  I haven't even read anybody else's blogs!  I've got to get on that!

Have a GREAT day!