Doing My Best for Self-Care While Having Little Self-Care at the Moment. Grading. Grading. Grading. All Before Beginning Classes on Tuesday

I realize I have life patterns and I should probably think seriously about them. In Kentucky, my seniors did amazing work through research, culminating projects, and writing portfolios. A couple times, we had the #1 scores in the State, and there was one study that said Brown did the best job for preparing kids for college through research on undergraduate gpa's and retainment rates. I knew then, too, that it was the extra work of English teachers who put in the time for writing conferences, attending PD, and pushing kids to rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite again. It was also because the school had policies for holding kids to high standards...all kids. My job, then, was to keep that bar high. 

Often, over Christmas break, I'd read, reread, and offer feedback on all the work expected of students because if I wanted them to excel, I had to excel, too. 

I realize that I'm in that same pattern again, but his time with graduate students designing a research plan for the next five months so they can complete their capstone projects in the summer. It's the same bar, the same coaching, and the same insanity. What is irksome, however, is that it's me giving up time off in support of students because, well, someone has to do it.

Anyway, I spent another day yesterday grading and I'm thankful to the students who turned in work early so I can get ahead a little. I also attended the MLK essay meeting but signed off early because it quickly turned into everything I predicted. When it was announced they were going to read each essay aloud, I said I was going to go offscreen and email my top four student essays ranked. They could include this or not. Reading every essay out loud after reading every essay myself did not seem like the wisest idea to me. Others disagreed and argued that to be fair we should read each essay to each other. There were selections for 135 entries. I signed off and got so much more accomplished.

I'm thankful for my long walks, too. They are so mentally and physically necessary. And I'm getting there. It's why I'm flexing this Saturday morning as Connecticut washes away into the Long Island Sound. I'm just thankful I'm not with Chitunga in Iowa. Highs of -12 this week. Ugh.