Back to school for Year #10!

I truly cannot believe this will be my 10th year of teaching. I remember student teaching at Parkview High School in Springfield, and that does not seem THAT far back. Hmmm...Derek, one of my first students, would be 27 this year. That does not seem possible! I always said that I wouldn't feel old until my current students were born the year I graduated high school. Well, that time is approaching. The freshmen I have this year were born back in 1995. Holy cow! Where does the time go?

I wish I had pictures to post of my new classroom (8th different room in 10 years, thankyouverymuch!), but I still haven't taken those yet. Good intentions aside, I just keep forgetting my camera. Maybe next week I can take pics while I'm there for Open House.

Some back to school thoughts:

• My body does NOT like to get up on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. I don't mind Thursdays so much because that's my shorter day. I only teach two classes that day, am off for my plan time, then school is over. Of course, I don't mind waking up on Fridays because it's Friday!
• More room in the classroom = less problems in the classroom. Since my kids can spread out just a bit and aren't right on top of each other, there seems to be less touching and griping with each other.
• I'm totally changing how I grade this year. The only grades going in my gradebook this year MUST fit a category (Participation, Portfolio, Essay, Project, or Test). That's it. No more grading random worksheets. If it's not a part of the above, forget about it.

I know I have more thoughts, but it's Friday afternoon and I am ready for the weekend. Tonight at 7:30 I am closing on my house re-finance FINALLY! It's only taken 5 months! Once I have closed on the house, I am meeting some friends for our first Back-in-school-and-I-need-a-reason-to party party. :)

Just FYI--I did join Nutrisystem back at the beginning of August but didn't actually start until school began last week. I have lost 4 pounds since then! Yea me! :) The food is surprisingly good (I've only dumped 1 thing--the mac/cheese with hamburger). I'm eating ALL the time and like the commercial, I can have dessert EVERY NIGHT! :)