Post Valentine's blues
It's not Valentine's day that is making me feel blue. A few students came by and gave me candy and I received several sweet hugs. I've just been feeling low-low energy and my spirit is feeling low too.
Luckily I have a long break starting tomorrow and ending Wednesday. President's day and Mardi Gras. I'm in need of a break and plan on spending the night at Georgia's house tonight. She has offered to me her guest room complete with cable TV. One of the best parades, The Muses, is going on tonight. It's very cold outside and I'm already half asleep at 1:30pm. Perhaps a quick nap will be all that I need.
I'm feeling burned out on community living-tired of carrying the weight of the library and arts project and generally feeling that my time at Hands On is over. I won't make any decisions until I'm rested and feeling like myself again.
It's quiet and weird at the base. There are only 15 people left now-a week from now there will be over 100. Still, even with 15 people some still insist on playing music at full volume until 10pm in the bunkhouse-the football games indoors and just a general lack of quiet and alone time prevails. Perhaps I feel it even more now that there are fewer people and it's still not relaxing.
I just haven't been able to smile for days now---well, sometimes I do when I'm here at the library and the kids just do something or say something so precious or so funny, I can't help myself. Though I have to admit it took all of my will to get here today. Last week one of the volunteers Trisha asked all the fourth graders to write a full page on Hitler and the Holocaust and told them if they did by next Wednesday (yesterday) they would get a special prize. She and her group have already left -damn it-leaving me to handle it. First off, some of the teachers were very upset stating the the subject matter was inappropriate for 4th graders and that this is black history month and that is what they are working on.
But yesterday 19 students came into the library with their reports to hand in. I told them I would look them over and give out prizes tomorrow. Since they all did exactly what Trisha had asked for they all deserved a prize. Most of the kids copied the same article off the internet but since Trisha didn't set any rules, they are not to blame for that. Two students went above and beyond by writing long reports in their own voice. So this morning I walked to Walgreens, bought 19 Hershey's chocolate bars. I bought a disposable camera and warm gloves for the two students who earned triple star. Now I'm like a real teacher man. Going out of my own pocket!
Well, I'm going to present this to the class at 2:30. I have to track down a 1st grader who is going to be in a Mardi Gras pageant this weekend and was looking for donations. I asked her how much people usually give and she said, "I don't know. Maybe 10 million?" See what I mean? I just can't help but smile.
Luckily I have a long break starting tomorrow and ending Wednesday. President's day and Mardi Gras. I'm in need of a break and plan on spending the night at Georgia's house tonight. She has offered to me her guest room complete with cable TV. One of the best parades, The Muses, is going on tonight. It's very cold outside and I'm already half asleep at 1:30pm. Perhaps a quick nap will be all that I need.
I'm feeling burned out on community living-tired of carrying the weight of the library and arts project and generally feeling that my time at Hands On is over. I won't make any decisions until I'm rested and feeling like myself again.
It's quiet and weird at the base. There are only 15 people left now-a week from now there will be over 100. Still, even with 15 people some still insist on playing music at full volume until 10pm in the bunkhouse-the football games indoors and just a general lack of quiet and alone time prevails. Perhaps I feel it even more now that there are fewer people and it's still not relaxing.
I just haven't been able to smile for days now---well, sometimes I do when I'm here at the library and the kids just do something or say something so precious or so funny, I can't help myself. Though I have to admit it took all of my will to get here today. Last week one of the volunteers Trisha asked all the fourth graders to write a full page on Hitler and the Holocaust and told them if they did by next Wednesday (yesterday) they would get a special prize. She and her group have already left -damn it-leaving me to handle it. First off, some of the teachers were very upset stating the the subject matter was inappropriate for 4th graders and that this is black history month and that is what they are working on.
But yesterday 19 students came into the library with their reports to hand in. I told them I would look them over and give out prizes tomorrow. Since they all did exactly what Trisha had asked for they all deserved a prize. Most of the kids copied the same article off the internet but since Trisha didn't set any rules, they are not to blame for that. Two students went above and beyond by writing long reports in their own voice. So this morning I walked to Walgreens, bought 19 Hershey's chocolate bars. I bought a disposable camera and warm gloves for the two students who earned triple star. Now I'm like a real teacher man. Going out of my own pocket!
Well, I'm going to present this to the class at 2:30. I have to track down a 1st grader who is going to be in a Mardi Gras pageant this weekend and was looking for donations. I asked her how much people usually give and she said, "I don't know. Maybe 10 million?" See what I mean? I just can't help but smile.
posted by singsforyou at 11:26 AM
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