First Day of School 2012

So.... I'm having a really hard time today.  For the first time EVER, I am missing the first day of school. (I'm not counting the maternity leave years)  The flu bug hit our house this weekend and Lily and I were up at 3am - it was not a pretty sight.

I did what most teachers do when they or their kids are sick - how sick am I? Can I still send the kid to school/daycare? Which is worse, going to school feeling like crap, or figuring out how to make the day work without me there?  Being sick on the first day is especially strange.  I don't have a homeroom this year, so really, I could "easily" not be there today - but it's killing me.  I'm teary, sad, disappointed.  I love the first day of school, I want to be there. I worked hard to get the library ready, to have some notes for the staff meeting to update staff on library and leadership "happenings," and I like to see the kids, ask about summer holidays, and just really be "present" to help set the tone for the year.

I did rush into the school this morning to get my Leadership kids organized for the morning, and then came home before 8am.  The tough part with a morning class is I have no way of letting them know at the last minute that I won't be there.  No one else is at the school to let them in, so I always go in to open the doors and get them started, and this morning was no exception.  When I do this, the guilt rises up... am I putting school and other people's children ahead of my and my family's needs?  Yep, I am.  I am better about this that I used to be - pre-kids - but it is still an issue, and it is the rare teacher who hasn't done the same.  This is the part of being a teacher that many outside the profession don't see. 

So today I will allow myself to be sad, but also know that I needed to come home to take care of my baby.  I will probably whip back to school, despite the gurgling in my own stomach, when my older daughter comes home from her first day.  Perhaps I can still make most of the staff meeting - it will probably be a long one anyway - but if I don't, I don't.

SD78 Teachmeet Sessions

Thanks for a great day of sharing everyone!  I loved hearing your ideas and connecting face-to-face.  As promised, here are my slides from today's presentations.

Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement | Edutopia

Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement | Edutopia

Feeling pretty confident and proud that I do most of these things :)

Prezi tips

Prezi For The Win? Ten Top Tips To Make a Good One « « thewikiman thewikiman

52 Interesting Ways to use Wordle in the Classroom

52 Interesting Ways to use Wordle in the Classroom

John Quincy Adams perfectly defined leadership – North Bay Business Journal - North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - Archive

I see a Wednesday leadership lesson from this article.

John Quincy Adams perfectly defined leadership – North Bay Business Journal - North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - Archive

New Blog

I have been blogging quite a bit for my Diploma in Education (Teacher-Librarian) and I realized that I need a place to store some of the great ideas and resources that I find that are not necessarily related to the courses I am blogging for.  Thus, Education Matters is born.

My hope is that I can use this blog to store ideas and resources related to my job as an English teacher, Teacher-Librarian and Leadership Advisor.  I am finding so many "nuggets" out there, especially through Twitter, and I need a place to "file" them all.  My hope is that this blog will become my idea filing cabinet - a place to consolidate all of this information.

If you are reading this, thanks!  I am doing this for my own learning but if others can use it too, all the better.