It's November

It's November.

Since I am unable to take on the challenge of NaNaWriMo, I will attempt the challenge of NaBloPoMo (assuming it still exists).  So dusting off the cobwebs of this blog, here I make a return.  Are 30 days of blog posts in me?  Well, I honestly don't know...

In the past year since I've posted, I have to admit that I have gotten somewhat disillusioned with teaching.  A VERY rough spring brought me to the point where I seriously considered quitting teaching.  The harder I tried to succeed, the worse things seemed to get and after a lot of negativity, stress, and one of the scariest situations I've ever encountered as a teacher occurred, I was ready to give up.  I even started writing my resignation letter.  But then uncertainty for the future somehow managed to kick me back in.

Teaching isn't the same.  County policies have made the battle to teach exclusively through reading and writing workshop too much of a war zone to safely continue.  I have stepped back and attempted to lock step with my department which although a modified version of reading workshop has been able to be maintained in this unified plan, writing has taken a huge nosedive.   It's the beginning of November, and I write my first blog before my students have even begun drafting their first real piece of writing.

It's the end of the quarter and for the first time in many years I don't sit surrounded by piles of portfolios to grade.  There's a certain ease to this teaching style, but while part of me rejoices to have a moment of free time, the other part of me sobs for the fact that this is the kind of teacher I've been forced to become...

But you know, perhaps that struggle for balance is exactly the writing topic that will keep 30 days of posts coming.  Will every day become reading and writing workshop once again?  I'm doubtful, but here's to a month of trying to chronicle the journey nonetheless.  One now down, twenty-nine to go....