June 27, A solid Monday

Due to unsafe ocean conditions, our province-sponsored trip to Dokdo Island this week was postponed to September.

I was sad less for the missed opportunity to see an important Korean landmark (a disputed chunk of rock between Korea and Japan) and more so for the sudden loss of free vacation time. Looks like I’ll need to slap lesson plans together for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Wendy consoled me.

“The vice principal feels bad that the trip was canceled but he says the weather will be beautiful in September.”

Cool but does he feel bad enough to give me extra vacation days this week…?

I took this Monday easy, doing comic drawing with the fourth graders and a spelling race with the fifth graders. No one cried so I count it as a win.

The kids who went on a special science field trip last week eagerly updated me on the experience and I was glad to have this ongoing relationship with them about their personal lives, and vice versa. My fifth graders have received regular updates about the critters caught on my parents’ security camera since last year and can name all of Florida’s furry neighbors. Today they got to see a young buck sniffing my mom’s potted daisies.

After eating my usual packed lunch then taking a nap at my desk, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and managed to plan for the rest of the week.

Finally it was the last stretch of the day and Wendy pulled out a yoga mat for her daily plank exercise.

Out of nowhere, she said “this school is lucky to have you. You’re a good teacher and you have high capabilities.”

I don’t know what prompted her sudden compliment but I was touched all the same. I feel stronger as a teacher week by week, though admittedly some are harder than others!