Lacking Rhythm

I feel like I am having difficulty establishing a rhythm this year. The teaching part seems to be going as it has in the past and I have fallen into that rhythm okay. It's the planning and test preparations and such. I feel like I am out of sorts. I am usually much more on top of that part of the planning - even last year when I felt like I was constantly doing SMART Board files and doing prep outside of work I was on top of things. Not so this year. I wrote up the test for Math 1 for tomorrow tonight. This is not like me at all.

I'm worn out as well. I can feel that I am physically worn out this year - I can't seem to go on the 6 or so hours of sleep that I used to be able to do. It caught up to me this week. Fortunately (*knocking on wood*) I haven't gotten sick, but I definitely feel more tired this year. Part of that may very well have to do with turning 40, or at least I am telling myself this.

Things have just been so crazy around here - between the bathroom remodel finishing up (and still needing to be put back together) and what seems to be our new usual busy-ness around here between my 3rd graders' homework, my commitments, and the usual keeping-up of the house, it just seems like I have little "down" time. Maybe that's why I'm struggling with finding a rhythm - I feel like I am constantly going and there isn't a rhyme or reason to it all.

I read Sam Shah's blog post from today and I have to say I'm jealous. I wish I was doing such fun things outside of my school life. But I'm also thrilled for him that he is getting to do some fun things and is stepping back from doing school all the time. I do feel like I am not doing school all the time - but I do feel like I am *doing* all the time. That can't be good.

I'm sure what isn't helping at the moment is that I feel like all of this stuff I am doing is going unnoticed and unappreciated. I spent most of Sunday battling with my daughter to get her work done and to get done what we needed to around the house. I just finished my first round of quizzes at school and my students didn't do as well as I had hoped. My Algebra 2 group in particular seems to be struggling with skills that I think are rather basic and necessary for Algebra (solving equations!) and I feel like at times I am pushing them on the most basic things. My first period class has turned out to be a bit of a delight, which has been a pleasant surprise. But for the most part, I feel like I am pushing them harder than they are used to and I am unsure whether they will continue to rise to the challenge.

Hopefully I'll have a more positive post later in the week - reassessments are starting and this will be the third set of SBG assessments with grading 3 and feedback on 3 concepts. The post is percolating in my head - we'll see how it comes out later in the week.