spare time

Right now I am experiencing something I haven't felt all week: spare time.

Monday I went to a training class for the big PRAXIS test I have to take. I really have to take two, one on English and one about teaching in general (yes, I've already taken the one on English twice--once in Idaho and once here. I passed in Idaho but then it didn't count as passing here. And the one I took here I missed by one point). It was helpful, but again added to the stress that I'm already feeling with everything else. I will be taking the teaching PRAXIS in June.

It's the time of the year where I've mostly been dealing with a yearbook stuff. I had deadline of 32 pages. Technically the deadline was Monday. But my motto this week has been that deadlines are meant to be broken (or is that rules?). All of my lunch breaks and prep time this week have been spent on yearbook stuff, i.e. identifying students names in the majority of the group photos because my staff failed to do so...and as long as I'm being honest: I mostly did all of the pages even after sitting each staff member down in front of their page and explaining exactly what they needed to do and giving them 3 weeks to get it done. But they didn't. So I caved. And I finished them. Never. AGAIN!!!!

I had ESL class last night until 6:30 and came home and began working on pages online. I was thisclose to posting several pages and saving what I'd been working on when the internet crashed!! It was 10 o'clock when this happened and I was so weary and cranky from getting up early and a long school day, I had a meltdown. Ben fixed the internet (after calling the company and messing around with wires) but by that time I was "over it" and had makeup smeared all down my face from crying so I just went to bed and dreamed of the stupid pages all night.

One good yearbook note of the week was that I received an actual example copy of what our cover is going to look like as well as the first 16 pages (all in color this year). The cover is amazing.

I finally submitted 23 pages today after school and after doing a quick check of the rest of the pages needing to be submitted, I realized that I have 10 more pages to submit and then the book will be done. I will submit 8 of those 10 tomorrow and the others will be done by next week. That's great for two reasons: 1)It shows that the year really is on the downhill slope and, 2) I won't have crazy yearbook dreams anymore.

The yearbook rep that works with us got us another new camera (sweet!) and has offered to pay for me to attend the company's yearbook training workshops this summer at Snowbird. I'm thrilled. He is also going to hold a day workshop just for my next year staff to train them, teach them the program, and to help us come up with a theme. I'm thrilled again.

In other news, I just (as in like 10 minutes ago) completed a Webinar for my master's classes (which start on Monday!). I had to call this phone # and access a website and it was basically a walk through presentation of how to complete all of the on-line classes for school. It was pretty nifty and helped me not be so stressed for the classes. It takes 8 weeks to complete each course and the first 8 weeks I only have one class. I received all my books last week (like 6 of them) and am all ready with freshly sharpened pencils, a new back pack, and....oh wait, I don't need any of that stuff for these classes because it's all online. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

Saturday I will be attending the Utah Middle Level Association conference. It is held every year at a different Utah middle school. I went last year and got some really great ideas. It will be a party this year as most of my teacher friends will also be in attendance.

Also on Saturday, I will be attending a book club with some friends from church.

And also on Saturday I will be in charge of our Primary teacher appreciation game night at the church.

And then also on Saturday I think I might pass out from exhaustion.