Lesson Learned: If you break one egg, are you going to throw out the whole dozen? Actually got to say this to some kids today regarding messing up on a lab activity. They kind of got it!

Today was our first "real" lab. It was an activity designed to get them to draw and write what they see. It also had them working together, cleaning up, listening to directions, etc. They didn't like the fact that they need to answer the questions in complete sentences. But it's good that they get used to that.

I'm still getting up at 5am (the smelly buttcrack of dawn) to get a little exercise in. It has been really nice since we've had unusually hot weather. I actually had sweat trickling down my back during class the other day. Eeeeewwww! Gross! Good thing the kids didn't notice. My room isn't air-conditioned so it gets hot and muggy in there, even with both doors open and 2 fans going.

Lesson Learned: Being organized is great! It takes a lot of energy and planning, but then the rest of the day goes off without a hitch.

Well, last week was the first week of school. It was very interesting in a confused-messed up sort of way. We lost our principal. It was his first time as principal and he didn't feel comfortable with some of the administrative decisions he had to make. He got transferred to an elementary school in the district and we are without a principal. The superintendent is sitting in until we can get an interim principal and then a real one. It doesn't affect the teaching staff directly, but some things have fallen through the cracks. For example, one of the other science teachers had placed an order for lab supplies in June, only to come back and discover that they never got ordered.

Also, we don't have any copy machine supplies. The schools were told that new and improved machines were on the way and so they were not to order supplies for the old machines. As you can imagine, we have no new machines and are now very limited on ink and stuff.

The scheduling didn't get finished until the Monday morning i.e. the first day of school. They are still getting out the bugs, but that is no surprise. On top of that we got new software which needed lots of help and still does.

In spite of that, I had a pretty good first week of school. I don't know why. I think part of it is the teaming. I am working with a good group of people who are positive and not so cynical. That makes a big difference.

Tim and I had a good weekend. Lots of nothing. It's hot here, just as I'm sure it's hot where you are. I did swim 500m on Sunday to get ready for the triathlon I want to participate in at the end of the month.

Then came today. Another hot day, but the kids were great. I expected them to be more squirrely, too hot to focus, but they weren't. I am planning to do an observation lab on Thursday and they are looking forward to it. I am soooo on top of things right now! I hope I can maintain this momentum until the end of the year!!