Mid Year Report Card

Back in August I wrote about the opportunity for change that a new school year brings. We reach the halfway point in January. Time for a report card. You'll see that I'm not living up to my potential (who the hell is?) but there is time to get my grades up.

I haven't followed through on making this the year I figure out a great new system in the classroom. I never teach the same things in the same way and that's fine but it does make me feel like I never get things to go really smoothly. Still, the teaching kids part of what I do is the best and most satisfying part of my day's work. Kids are happy in my class and we do a lot of fun stuff. Every year is different and that's good.
Dealing with everyone's technological breakdowns and questions is – to put it mildly – daunting. I will never get used to this deluge. I have been a teacher of young children for a long time and so I have a high tolerance for interruption but this is over the top. Literally, the ONLY time I can work on something for longer than 15 minutes is when everyone has left the building at the end of the day. The other hard part for me is this: I can't fix or answer everything and some days I feel like I haven't fixed or answered anything! This leaves me feeling inadequate. This is a "course" that I wish I just didn't have to take. But I can't get out of it and so I have to make this better somehow.
I'm working on a couple of presentations right now, one on introductory web page creation and one for parents on Internet safety. These tasks are actually interesting to prepare and with the Internet safety one I've been working with some folks from the upper school and that has been good for me. I'm pretty impressed with the the number of tasks these particular staff members juggle and their high degree of professionalism. They work hard and there's no whining (at least not that I've witnessed) They are my new models.
Other administrative stuff that I've had to do has been very mixed. I'm a bit overmatched by this new database and helping all those who have to use it. That's only going to get worse. The business office also had a major computer crash this fall and I had to sweat that out, still am, actually. I have a major report in the way of a three-year technology plan to write before the end of the school year. Some of this I like and I'm good at, I just don't have enough time to do my best so it gnaws away at me.
One area where I need to work harder is having fun. Maybe it's not going to be in school, as I always hope. So I just have to face that and use my time away from school in more fun ways. Some excellent examples have been set for me recently by fellow bloggers. I have to develop some good habits here! More movies, going out, seeing people, taking trips, spending money!!
OK it looks like teaching the kids gets an A, being "your company's computer guy" gets a D, Working with others on special projects? I think a B+, Administrative duties a C+ at best, Having fun? I'm failing there. I'll get a tutor and turn that around soon.