already.
i sat in a classroom last week, looking out at an inky blackness punctured with bright-lit skyline windows, on the end of a 13-hour day... the third of 5, and wondering what i was thinking, starting a master's when i'm already pretty busy... but i think it will be a great experience, and improve my teaching. This first topic is tech integration - the ideas are jumping around in my head, but i'm wondering how in the world i'll ever have time to use them all...though i'll ride the wave of inspiration as long as I can.
the sun sinks earlier now, cooling the air for my trips around safa, trying to get my miles up so i can handle a half-marathon. I registered, so there's no backing out now... trying to keep up with the boys has proved excellent motivation, though I'm becoming dependent on my running buddies - when i try to strike out on my own i'm decidedly un-inspired....,
a random, who-knew-people-actually-win-these-things contest entry somehow resulted in my winning tickets to Desert Rhythm, and I spent two weekend evenings chilling outside, grooving to Ziggy Marley, Black Violin, Kanye West, Joss Stone, and Mika (!!) among others... lots of middle school students floating around, saying "hi" and then walking quickly away...Kanye was crazy, Joss was soulful and real, and Mika blew me away with his energy.
for halloween, 6 of us glammed it up as the quirky characters from "Clue" - or "Clue-do" if you're of the british persuasion... my miss scarlett was fabulously fun - and I will totally take credit for the whole idea!
parent-teacher conferences were this week, and though i was booked almost solid through two days, i enjoyed meeting so many parents and encouraging so many students.... it helped me feel more connected.... and not one parent verbalized their "wow, you look so young" thoughts :)
though our middle school "week without walls" trips don't take place 'til February, we're starting the process of trip-picking, and that's heavy on every student's mind...within two weeks the groups will be set. One of the hardest things in the world is to convince a middle schooler that he/she should pick a trip based on their interests as opposed to the interests of their friends...
the calendar has been incredibly fragmented these past weeks, and looking ahead, it's practically winter break.... i'm so looking forward to traveling again soon - a whirlwind trip to Jordan over a 4-day weekend is coming up quickly!!
the construction site next door provides reassurance that if I ever forget to set my alarm, I need not worry. they start their continuous hammering sounds promptly at 6:30 each morning..., even on Saturdays. in fact, I've started to structure my weekends around that fact.... sad, really.
all in all, life's great - flying by in a blur, but great!!
Yeah, this thing is getting pretty tall!!
The beach... always fabulous...
ziggy! reggae music as the sun sets... doesn't get much beter than this!
kanye... totally worth the elbow fights to be this close!
mika... he just looks like he's having so much fun!
Joss Stone
Who done it?
Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the rope....
