So. Let me give you a life update. While my husband was out of the country I may have volunteered to take on 3 different grades worth of art classes. Ok…there was no “may have” about it. The middle school teacher quit at the quarter and I volunteered to take over all of middle school art with 4 days worth of prep time. It definitely is on the list of top 10 craziest things I’ve ever done. At this same time, I was asked to be the Stake Primary President (in our faith that means I was asked to head up the leadership of 8 local congregations’ childrens’ programs. It’s overseeing the leaders who run children’s ministries for about 400-500 kids all together across 3 counties). So. There’s that.
Yesterday I told my 6th graders I had a busy weekend ahead of me. They asked what I was doing and I told them I was speaking in front of probably 600 people for a church thing on Sunday. They were duly impressed and when I told my husband he told me it was probably closer to 800. So there’s that.
I don’t know how to pace myself with things. I tend to give it everything I have everyday and now that I’m two weeks in…I get how people burn out. But hey, I’m only committed to doing the middle schools classes until winter break…I can push hard for two months and be fine, right?
At our charter school, there is a parent Exhibition Night after the 1st quarter and the 3rd quarter. I’ve been attending them as a parent for years now. This was the very first one where I had to contribute as a teacher. I did a gallery tour of my 5th graders and their work through first 9 weeks. It was so fun. Then I got to go see what my 3 girls had been working on…all after a fun girls dinner out to celebrate because Neil was still in Germany.

Just for fun, because I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to write about school again, here is my first display for some 7th and 8th grade work…

It turns out teaching middle school is hard. And teaching 5 different grades (5th-8th plus a special needs class) is stretching my brain in the most bizarre ways. I feel like I’m constantly running on adrenaline…but I am starting to wonder if this is how marathon runners feel. The first few miles their bodies are pushing hard, super hyped by the thrill of the challenge. Then they settle into the long grind and question their life choices. But then the finish line is in sight and they remember that they are awesome and it’s totally worth it. I’m still hyped by the challenge…Neil has promised to rub my shoulders when the grind sets in. I already think this experiment has totally been worth it.