fantastic!

Being a traveling teacher sure is fantastic. (This is what I have to keep telling myself in order to deal with it)

I have to pack up my stuff like the students and make my way through the halls like the students. Except I'm hauling a cart (not a backpack), which has caused one fellow teacher to call me "Gypsie Teacher." I also rather like "Homeless Teacher."

I started traveling yesterday and struggle mostly with getting the dang cart around the halls. It amazed me at how many kids would stop right in front of (when I was in full sight!) and just stare. I really need to invest in a horn or something.

This new traveling schedule has really screwed me up in terms of being sane. I hate to admit this but I had (another) tearful breakdown during my lunch today. I walked into the door of my old room and pushed my cart just inside and shut the door behind me and burst into tears. It didn't help that 4th period was rude and LOUD as usual, but I just can't seem to accept the fact that this is how it will be for the rest of the year.

On a positive note, I'm sure my arms will be super buff by the end of the year AND that I'll loose some weight (except I'm not sure I want that too much because my butt already doesn't fill in my jeans).

In other teaching news, I have a yearbook deadline tomorrow. Not much is left to do, just actually having the faith to accept the pages as they are, press the "Submit" button and hope when the yearbook shows up in May that it looks decent. I've had some good experiences this week with several of the students really being willing to stay after school and help proof the pages...which they are really good at catching mistakes.

I also had all the applications for next year's Media Productions staff due today and put together the list of those who "made it." It's perfect size--17 students--and all of these students are students who enjoy writing, have the desire to write, and got positive recommendations from their English teachers. I'm SO looking forward to that concept next year...a journalism student who WANTS to write!

It's snowing again. The fun thing is that the snowflakes look like Dippin' Dots, which I love and which sound kinda good right now. I just took Zeus outside for a bit and he loves the snow. He hops like a bunny over the snowbanks in the back yard and digs his nose in the snow and pushes it along, kind of like a snowblower.

I'm quite glad that tomorrow is Friday and a short day at that. I bought myself a pitty-present tonight at Target (it was on sale so I felt ok buying it): A "We're All in This Together" t-shirt with a picture of the world on it. It's kind of funky and retro and a new Target T always cheers me up.