Wow, the first two weeks flew by! They weren’t complete 5-day weeks (the first one was only 3 days, and last week was 4) – this week is also a short one due to Rosh Hashanah.

Just as I start to get in the groove, there is another long weekend..! I know it seems silly to complain about having days off. However, being able to sleep in and make fun plans every so often (aka the weekend) is great; I’m not so sure it helps when it is more breaks than work days. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I would rather have school days than holidays during the first few weeks. It would help me bond with the new students better as well as get in the groove with lesson planning. My brain just wants to be on a break when it deserves one, and if it is given one without reason, then it starts to lose it’s motivation.

Even though this week is yet another mini one, it has many important elements for the school year. We have Back to School Night on Thursday where the parents will learn all there is to know about third grade – I will be discussing the new website setup as well as attendance.

Also on Thursday, I am teaching my first line dancing class after school..:o This wasn’t supposed to be happening until Spring, but the dance instructor that the school hired for Fall won’t teach the class due to its low numbers – so I am stepping in for about a month and then other teachers who can dance will take turns too. I am quite nervous about this because it was a fun idea when I pitched it to them, but now that it is happening….!!! I have no plan yet, and need to learn some kid-friendly dances asap. I know dances from line dancing on Thursday evenings on a regular basis at a local bar, but they are too complex for Kindergartners and First Graders.

SO FAR, I LOVE THE THIRD GRADERS! My class is very sweet and have a lot of personality. There have been a few arguments, but these only seem to happen when the whole grade is together – certain students were purposely not put in the same classes. With the shorter weeks, it has been tougher to pick up on the younger grade’s schedule but it will become more second nature with time. At the end of this week, I am teaching the whole day (my co-teacher is out of town) – I am excited but hope that all goes smoothly! Wish me luck 🙂