Thank you to everyone for birthday wishes and kind words!

It’s that time for me to look back and look forward.

After our South Carolina trip for spring break, the rest of April was quiet and wrapped in routines.

My husband was traveling a lot for work so I had to buckle down and hold the fort at home. My kids are six and eight, not a hard age, so it was all relatively manageable. I went to work, the kids went to school, then to aftercare, I picked them up, we ate, played and went to bed. Rinse and repeat the next day. Some days had lessons.

There is a certain beauty in having a trusted routine.

After looking at my camera roll and my journal, here are some very small highlights to anchor this month in time:

There were also spring concerts, a sauna visit, a very painful mammogram, a dental cleaning, a filling, mornings outside with coffee, allergies, YMCA, and reading. There was some swimming, gardening, closet organizing and (always) laundry. Piano lessons, jiu jitsu and gymnastics lessons. Journaling.

May

I usually do not feel the typical “May-sember” busy season. May seems to be similar to other months. Moreover, in high school things seem to slow down in May, as we are wrapping up your units.

In May I had my birthday, then Mother’s day is this weekend. then we are going camping for Memorial Day weekend.

Two kids birthday parties but those are low key. In May I want and need to focus on myself – time outside, reading, and gardening. Meditation, alone time. Time for self. Time with my husband. Movies. Puzzles (I got two cat puzzles for my birthday).

At work, many of my fellow teachers are burning out. I can feel the bitterness and the fatigue in myself as well. I cannot let it impact my teaching..

My students and I are finishing the last two units and work is mainly being placed on them (in other words, less direct instruction, more collaboration among students).

I am not happy with my teaching assignment for next year : three levels instead of two (!!) That is a lot of prep and the quality of my teaching will decline. I’m fighting the administration on it so we will see if the district meets me half way.

May is a month of slowly wrapping things up at work, packing up the classroom, and modifying final tests. In June, we have final exams the week of June 8th! Not a lot of time, at all…

My last day at work is June 17th, our high school graduation.

Okay, releasing this post.

I hope your April had good moments in it and May brings something to look forward to!