Another End of Year

What a loser I am! How can I let so much time pass, in so many areas of my life? This has been the hardest year of my career, bar none. With things shaking down in my personal life--shall I say that I "grew a pair" and did what I had to do...FINALLY. I'll never be the same person, but I'm still standing (and yes, got through most of it with a good deal of anger propelling me...that will change at some point, right???). Having said that, this has been a very hard year for me. I've been unhappy for awhile, and find that teaching really pokes a stick at you emotionally, physically, psychologically, etc. There was a time that I liked my job much more than I have these past two years, but I just haven't seemed to be able to recapture that fire or passion. I know what I'm doing, and I know my stuff, but I don't know if the biggest rung on the ladder to success is there--me.

Anyway, away from the ick subjects. :) The school year is coming to an end this next week, and I'm having mixed feelings. I always end the year feeling like there was so much more I could have accomplished, and this year is definitely no different. I feel a bit better than last year, but I am sure nervous about next year...already! I'm nervous about teaching all 11th Word Literature, worried that I'll be bored out of my mind and grow stale, stale, stale. Whew...I'll really need to refuel this summer, which doesn't seem like a hard thing to do. Below is a reminder of what's to come!!! Sorry mom, I know this is you, and not me on Waikiki, but I don't save MY pictures! :)
We have graduation this week (Thursday evening), then as teachers, have to go in Friday. I'll probably be working on filing things and cleaning up my room on Friday, and then turn my attention to all the things I need to do over the summer. I take off on Tuesday, June 3rd for Hawaii!


I'm actually more excited to see my mom than anything else. She is such a ROCK, and deserves the hugest mom award EVER! Have I ever mentioned that if there ever was a reason to bless my life, it would be not for me, but for her. As far as moms go, she deserves my happiness, and TONS of grandkids, more than I do! :) Anyway, I'm looking forward to flying over next week, and then will focus in on the following goals:

1. SLEEPING -- In asking other teachers, I'm not the only one who feels that it takes most of June to feel like I'm back to fighting form again! Sleep...ah...what a gift.
2. IDLA -- I have to revise the AP course (both A & B sections) before I go to the conference at the end of June. I'll also be teaching English 12 this summer, and volunteering for anything else I can, to earn more dinero!
3. Next School Year -- I've already rounded up some teaching materials and books that I want to go over this summer, come up with some ideas, and possibly write some teaching units. We'll see. This seems to be the one that falls by the wayside. I always get some reading done, but lesson planning seems to happen that week before school starts. That's all right, isn't it???
4. READING -- I have stacks of things I want to read this summer, and I'm going to list them at the bottom as a way for ME to check them off as I go!
5. Relaxing and Traveling -- Mom and I would like to possibly take off and island hop this summer. I'd kind of like to go to Kaui or Molokai, but it looks like we might try to hit the big island. We'll probably hit some sites on Oahu, do some hiking, visit some great restaurants, see some movies, and do some shopping. What else could we want???
6. BEACH, BEACH, BEACH--This one I shouldn't even have to include!!! It's integrated in all the things listed above. :) When I was there last October, we spent anywhere from three to five hours a day on the beach...reading, walking, dabbling our chicken toes in the water, etc. December was a little crazier though, so I don't know about that! I'm looking forward to the waves not being 6 to 10 feet at times, and dabbling in the kiddie-pool-like waves I've heard I'll get most of the summer. Yay!!! Maybe water aerobics will make me a little braver about digging into water sports?!? Well, I still don't like getting my face wet, so we'll see! :)
7. Lose Weight/Get Healthy--This one shoots terror through me. I've been blaming my weight on the end of my relationship, a job that stressed me out, and my health, in which I'm still waiting for test results back from my specialist. I've had a trainer this last year (who ditched me and ran off to live in Australia with a man!), and I've tried to work out and be conscious of what I'm eating. Alas, I still packed on the pounds...again. I'd like to eat lots of fruit, play in the ocean, and go to Kaneohae to train and use up my sessions at 24 hour fitness. We'll see...but I'm just sick of this always being an issue...like the single thing being an issue. Sigh...I guess if you're perfect, you have to fight something (ha, ha, ha). :)
   

Ah...I can't wait. Posting this is making me painfully aware that those precious summer hours will fly by! I have much to look forward to, but mostly I look forward to the support that my mom will provide, and that I can provide her! Come on, she's already excited that someone else will be doing all the grocery shopping and cooking. :) Hawaii...here I come!!!