Anyway, I managed to wake up & JUST made it into work for the whole staff meeting day. My brain was only processing about 70%, but I am so thrilled that I was able to go. A fascinating & insightful speaker, Trevor Cooling, was sharing thoughts on Christian teaching & what that looks like...
How wonderful for staff to have a day to hear some great ideas, to toss around some questions & consider how they might revise some teaching strategies for this term. Refreshing...
I liked his ideas about "What-If Teaching"
* Is there something to see anew?
* Is there a learning strategy which communicates that?
* Are there "habits of the classroom" that encourage seeing anew?
And I got teary hearing the line "Dare to be a Daniel" - my Dad used to say that to me...how wonderful to hear it again & consider seeking the best of the situation I'm in, like Daniel was asked to do. God didn't remove him from the difficult place...I have some difficult classes, I have some things I don't like about teaching p/t (but I don't feel that I have the health to return to f/t work anymore) yet there are disadvantages in only being there a day or so. Yet, I am encouraged to do the best I can, & seek excellence in planning, presenting & evaluating lessons - even though I'm finding it hard & wondering about work. I can't hold up those 10 years in the 90s, that is a distant memory now. On a practical level it has helped me, but I can't hold up those memories for current student because they are still getting to know me - they don't know the Mrs Stonestreet of those days...anyway, even on FOUR hours sleep it was good to consider teaching & education & chat with the staff around me, & pray & get our heads in a good place for the term ahead...
It will be super busy. There is so much happening, starting with parent teacher interviews Week 2, closely followed by Trial Music HSC. My kids are teetering on the brink of illness, & I have so much to do. I need to get back to school to do some more things, but I need to keep them warm & dry. These are the things I never experience before having kids - like being able to give so much time to work (perhaps that's not always healthy). Now I feel torn between two worlds. I'm learning about the whole work/family balance still & it's harder than I thought it would be. Having gone through the loss of children & being incredibly blessed to have Drama Queen & the Melon, it's hard learning to stretch myself. I don't want to take them for granted, I don't want to forget the fact that they are two living blessings for us, I don't want to forget the tears & all we went through to have them. Some women manage it all amazingly well, yet I think the line that women can have it all is from a fairytale. You can't because both worlds need you & there is always a compromise...anyway...
Just throwing all of this exhausted rambling out there into the Blog world before I fall into bed.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....
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