Another crazy week behind us

There are two specific weeks out of the school year that I dread the most: the week of Fall Parent Conferences and the week of Spring Parent Conferences.  Don't get me wrong here.  I truly enjoy actually having the conferences with each parent.  I like telling them positive things that I see in their child, and I enjoy helping them find ways to help out at home to get them to improve in other areas.  It's enlightening to find out more of the home situation so I can better meet the needs of the kids while they're at school.

However, being a good teacher takes time.  It requires time for planning, time for gathering materials, time for grading and reflecting over assignments and tests, and time to rest and take a break from it all. I've noticed that the more I force myself to take a mental break in order to meet my own needs, the healthier I am as a teacher.  When you add trying to plan for 22 parent conferences and then adding them into your normal busy schedule, along with adding picture day, extra tests, and a book fair, it's enough to push someone like me a bit over the edge.  Let's just say that by Friday afternoon, my brain was pretty fried, and my kids knew it.

Thankfully, we all survived, and we can put the week behind us.  One more week of classes and tests ahead, and then we can enjoy a week of spring break. I honestly thought I'd be in Colombia by then, but alas, we're still waiting our way through the end of this process.  Though we have no official paperwork at this moment, our attorney told us off the record that we've been approved and that he put an urgent notice on our case as it goes through the next level.  I hate all this waiting, but I trust God's perfect timing and sovereignty.  He's got a track record with me for always coming through at just the right time in ways that are greater than I could have imagined.  So, rather than wallowing in self-pity and frustration, I am looking forward to enjoying the week of vacation with David, sending him off for the last few days of vacation on a mission trip to Mission Waco, and volunteering with the STUCK tour as it comes through Dallas on March 16th.