Ready For My Birthday

The time between Spring Break and my birthday is always my least favorite time of year.  Although it's the "downhill slope," it's also "crunch time."  Emphasis on the TAKs test is heightened, and my role as teacher seems to minimize as my role as data analyst seems to maximize.  Students are restless and ready for summer, and have no desire to prepare themselves for a test that you can't really "study" for.  The stress level is enough to make teachers burst into tears, but (at least on most days) those tears are shielded from students' view.  This year is incredibly difficult. With budget cuts and layoffs, the stress has surpassed manageable.  And the worst part is....in the height of all of the stress...the "hope for next year" has been removed from the equation.  You see, this is also the point where teachers usually begin to get excited about what next year has to offer....a little bit of sanity...the light at the end of the tunnel...that sort of thing.  But, not this year.  This year, next year looms over our heads like a thundercloud on an extremely humid day.  You're desperate for the relief of rain, but you fear it will never come.  If you are one of the lucky teachers who gets to keep their jobs, "next year" means your classes will be huge, you lose your conference time, and you will most likely add another subject or another grade level to your schedule.  Yuck.  I never thought the economy would get so bad that one of the most underpaid professions would suffer so much.  Not only is it a strain on teachers and their families, but it's harmful to our children's futures.  So, needless to say, I'm ready for my birthday.  Not because it's a day to celebrate another year of my life, but because testing will be over, and summer quickly follows.

"Proper" Inspiration

I've been a blog slacker recently, and I apologize.  I just haven't been inspired to write lately.  Well, that's not 100% true... but the things that I am inspired to write about are not things I want to blog about.  You know how you're "not supposed" to talk about politics and religion, because those topics could be offensive?  Well, that's the issue I'm having with my blog right now...I'm not going to write about the things that have made my skin boil recently, because I don't want people to be offended.  I don't know who reads my blog posts once they become notes on Facebook, but I know several people I am friends with who would be offended by what I really want to write.  So, to keep the peace, I don't blog.

Hopefully, Spring Break will bring all the "ations" I am seeking: relaxation, motivation, and inspiration.
Until then, I'm sorry that I have left you with nothing more than this.