It's Friday - raining outside, fire glowing in the wood stove, with the whole weekend before me. And I'm totally beat. Without a doubt it was the most scrutinized sort of week I've had in a long time -- I had visitors coming in to watch me teach every day.
On Monday, our principal (who, as a matter of course, frequently drops in for short visits) and the vice-superintendent stopped by unexpectedly for about ten minutes and watched the tail-end of a lesson.
On Tuesday, the principal came in again -- but this time stayed for an hour for my first formal observation in a long time. He took notes while I did my best to maintain focus on what I was teaching.
On Wednesday, I got a break by going to the doctor in Sacramento.
Thursday came, and I taught a hands-on science lesson to my class while two other 4th grade teachers observed how it went. They're both my friends, so that was actually sort of fun. How can any lesson that involves a tiny light bulb, a battery and a sheet of tin foil where the directions are to have teams try to get the bulb to light not be a success? Tiring for the teacher keeping everyone on track, though.
Then, today, we had our trimester awards assembly where I stood in front of the assembled classes, announced names in the microphone and passed out 4th grade awards. Most teachers I know don't like doing this, but you do get used to it after awhile. After recess, while I was giving a dictation test, in walked the principal yet again -- this time with the district superintendent himself. They wandered around for about five minutes, benign and cheerful, looking at the students' paragraphs and then went back out in the rain. The wind banged the door shut after them and everyone jumped and then laughed.
But right now I'm home. And the rain is finally, at long last, pelting down exactly how I've wanted it to:
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| Our home weather station |
I may be going out tonight with a flashlight to take a look...
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