One meeting at 9:30 (that lasted until 12:30), and another at 3:30. Tomorrow: meeting at 7:45, leave for North Webster at 11:15, back for meeting at 3:30. Thursday: present at our intermediate school all morning, then back to elementary for school-wide planning meeting. Friday: meeting at 9:00, then leave at 11:00 for meeting in Fort Wayne….and that is just four days! This was not a part of the job I expected, and yet, for the most part very much enjoy. I love the professional collaboration, the teaching and learning, that happen at these meetings. Fortunately, not all months are like December or I wouldn’t get anything else done but collaborate. I’m particularly excited about by after school literacy collaborative tomorrow afternoon. This will be our initial meeting. It’s going to be a place where colleagues can meet and share what we are doing, learning, needing in our classes. Tomorrow I will be sharing my Bio Book Bag. It will be filled with artifacts that speak to my reading and writing life. It’s a great activity to do with kids. It shows them that we do read and write outside of a school environment. I’m going to have some picture books that I used with my second-grade class to teach various writing lessons. I’m going to include both a professional book and a “pleasure” book that I just finished. My bag will hold several (ahem) journals that I have started at some point and never continued. The last piece will be my iPad. This is going to represent my new step into blogging. I think I’m going to be more apt to keep this type of journal. I don’t mind typing, and can sure get my thoughts out quicker than with a pencil. Honestly, I’ve never blogged from my iPad, but I just don’t think my desktop computer will fit nicely into my bag.
So, anyway, in the hustle of this holiday season (Did I mention that this weekend I have two family Christmases, my daughter’s ninth birthday, and two of her choir performances.), I’m going to try and take some time to reflect on my professional life, as well. Merry Christmas!