The World According to Leslie

About 18 months ago, on June 10, 2015, I did something I didn't really want to do. I walked out of my job for the final time. I had resigned (effective on the last day of school) a few weeks earlier. I didn't want to do it. My flesh was terrified. I'm sure I've shared that here. Tony and I had discussed it and prayed about it. We felt it was the right thing to do. We knew God would supply. He has. We have not gone without anything we have needed since I resigned. When I left the classroom that day, I was leaving a classroom I had been in for 3 years. I had been teaching a total of 4 years. I had a lot of stuff. When I say a lot of stuff, I mean a LOT! I put all my files and notebooks and books in crates and boxes and tubs. It took me 2 loads with the seats laid down in my minivan. For the past 18 months, all of that stuff... all the boxes, all the crates, all the tubs.... have been sitting in my office floor. If I needed something from the office, I had to move 4...

Although I haven’t written anything in about 2 months here, I did not fall off the face of the earth. I have, however, sat at the computer wanting to write. Some days it just doesn’t happen.    I have a writing job for the summer—$8/article and I can write at least 2 an hour.   That’s more than I make teaching!  No!  I’m not kidding!  lol  (It’s sad!)   I get to go back to work in just a couple of weeks.  Actually…..  two weeks from today!  WOW!  Same school! More kids.  This year, I’m teaching regular Freshman English and Mythology.  I’ll have about 35 kids in each class!  (I know, right?!)   We went to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge on Vacation last month.  We took Mom and Dad with us!  We love going there. We went to a few shows.  Maybe… just maybe…. I’ll do a post about that!    I am now a CRIMINAL MINDS fanatic!  I love this show!  I had never watched an entir...

Exams started yesterday at my school.  That means that the kids only have 4 days left.  It means that *I* only have 6 days left.   I’m excited at the prospect of sleeping beyond 3:30am!    I can’t believe that the Princess will be in middle school next year.   I have so much on my mind, but not enough time to write it out right now.  Hopefully I get more writing time this summer to get some of these things out of my head.

At this point in the school year, I’m not doing anything new.  I teach an elective class, so I get the privilege of writing my own exam. I don’t have a state exam.  So, in that case, what do you do with 20 days left in the year?   You give them a 3 page study guide with specific instructions for how you expect it to be completed.  Then you give them time in class for two days to complete it so that they can’t whine as much about the amount of work.   Then you give them the answers to the study guide, assign them a specific part of it, and have them reteach that part of the information to the class.  That is the beginning of the review.   Then we play games (that they come up with and that I already have) for about 2 weeks.    Then it’s time for exams!    20 days of school left….. 15 teaching days/5 exam days!  This is the best part of being a teacher…. reviewing to get to the exam!

Today begins that last quarter for the school year.  I’m kind of excited!  Actually…. I’m really excited.  With all the snow days and, therefore, snow make up days, we haven’t had a break since February.  It gets kind of tiring for the teachers and the students.  But, now, we are in the home stretch.  If we can survive 9 more weeks, we will make it until Summer Break!   This weekend, the Softball Fairies were not on our side. We didn’t get to start the season as planned. We are hoping that there will be no rain this coming weekend so we can get the season started!  Our team is starting to shape up very well, I think.  I know that we are going to have some tough games, but we are going to have a good time doing it.   Countdown Update: 6 days (counting today) until Softball Opening Day 14 school days (counting today) until Spring Break 9 weeks until Summer Break

Well….sort of. Today is the last day I’m teaching for the week.  I have a meeting tomorrow.  However, my sub is going to have a REALLY easy day.  Since tomorrow is a Snow Make-Up Day, we are only there for 1/2 a day.  I am giving a test.    That means that each of my classes is only 45 minutes long instead of 90.  My sub will get to hand out the tests and sit there.  Since my largest class is only 8 kids…. well….  she’s going to have a very easy day! 

I couldn’t let Post 666 stay up all day.  That would have me freaked out forever!    So….  I guess I’m going to say that although I enjoyed all the snow days last week, I hate that we have to make one of them up today---ON A SATURDAY!   The person who came up with this idea must not have to deal with crabby teenagers at 7am on a Saturday morning!   Oh well!  It’s only a half day! Then we have a cookie booth at noon!   Then we get to do nothing (mostly) for the rest of the day.    I’m excited!

Snow Day #3 for the year was Thursday of last week.  We actually still had snow falling.  Then all of a sudden, it stopped.  Every school in the 22 surrounding counties (and most all of the schools in the state) were closed that day and Friday!    We ended up with about 8” of snow total!  It was crazy!   Snow Day #4 was Friday!  OMG!  After being stuck at home Wed and Thurs, I was pretty sure that the Princess was going to go nuts!  But, she didn’t. Her teacher sent home assignments. She completed them.  All is right with the world.   Friday night, we had our first Girl Scout Cookie booth.  Saturday we had 3 booths.  Sunday, we rested!     Then….Monday…..  President’s Day.  Wow! That was a heck of a week off!  The Princess had my niece over Sunday night.  That kept her entertained yesterday!   Now….  I’m awake (or so I keep telling myself)!  I’m getting ...

There are many “perks” to being a teacher. You don’t work during the summer…at least not teaching the kids. You have weekends off…most of the time. You have set hours…again, most of the time. You can actually plan things because you know when you work.   Until today…  okay…. it’s not that bad.   Although I was not thrilled when the alarm went off this morning at 3:30am, I am okay with the fact that I only have to work 3 hours.  We are only teaching TWO classes…. and one of those classes is my planning period!     So… Saturday School isn’t horrible today.  I may complain more next time!

Although we did not get much snow, and most of it melted yesterday, we have another Snow Day today.  This is because many of the secondary roads (also known as COUNTRY BACKROADS) are still covered in ice.  These are the roads that the DOT does not have to pay a lot of attention to because they are not city roads.  That is one of the drawbacks of living in the county and not in the city limits.   Last night Tony and I went over to my parents’ house.  We picked up mom (who does NOT drive in this stuff) and went riding around to check out roads.  Many of the roads that I would take to work or to get the Princess to school all had huge patches on them that were still snow covered or that would be sheets of ice this morning.    All of the public schools in the area  are closed today.  Since the Princess does not go to a county public school this year, her school decided to run on a two hour delay.  Her momma (ME!) decided that si...

So far, the 2nd semester has been great.  We had a three day week last week. Monday was MLK, Jr. Day (no school). Tuesday was a teacher workday (no school). So we went to school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,  but one of those days we had a 2 hour delay because the temperature was going to be around 10-12 degrees. They didn’t want the kids standing at the bus stops in those temps and they were afraid that the buses might not start correctly.    NOTE: Remember….I live in the South.  Snow is a rare, exciting event in our lives!   We went to school Monday—normal day. Tuesday we arrive at school only to stay for 3 hours because there is a THREAT of snow. That was yesterday. Then it snowed yesterday afternoon and last night. It only snowed for about 4 hours. There is only about 2” on the ground (if that much!).   Today, Wednesday, is a SNOW DAY! Hooray for that! They called school last night. I slept until almost 9am. The Princess is still ...

Today is the first day of 2nd semester! I get all new kids.  This semester, I have 10th graders!  I’m a little excited!   This means we are in the countdown until Spring Break.  After Spring Break is the countdown until the end of  the year!   Only 90 days of school left for the year!   Today is the day Tony and I get to start eating normally again.  For the past 21 days, beginning on Jan. 1st, we were participating in the Daniel Fast that our church was doing.  It was hard at times. It was very interesting at times.  Sometimes you just want to quick because you want a burger!    The Daniel Fast is part of the reason I haven’t written anything in a while.  I totally believe that you should not broadcast what you are doing for God.  I’m not broadcasting it now.  I’m saying that we did it; it’s over. We can eat normally.    We are planning a trip to Golden Corral for supper tonight!

Today is the last day I have to teach my kids anything.  On Monday, their exams start.  That means that if they don’t know it today, they had better study it and learn it this weekend.      Because students may not come to school every day next week like they are supposed to, we have a bit of a strange schedule.  Monday thru Thursday, the kids take one exam a day. They get out of school at 1/2 day.  On Friday, we have a full day of school.  If all of our students took their exams, we have literally nothing for them to do.  Some teachers are telling the kids that they will have work for them.  I’m telling my kids that we will have a movie that day.  Seriously…. no need for them to come if they are finished with exams.  (BUT….some of them will!)   So for the past few days (since Tuesday) my kids have been teaching my class.  I gave them the Study Guide over the weekend.  I gave them the answers to it on Mon...

According to my phone, it is 27 degrees outside my front door.   I’m okay with the cold. I would rather have cold weather than hot. I can put on more layers to get warm, but I can only take off so many layers before someone calls the cops!     I have always preferred the cold weather.  I don’t like to sweat! I work hard and work up a sweat when I need to, but I don’t like to sweat. I would rather do Spring Cleaning when it’s 50 degrees out so I can open the windows to prevent getting too hot!  (Yes! I know I sound like a weirdo!)   Anyways…. yesterday, it was 50 degrees and raining. The rain finally stopped around 6pm or so.  This morning, some of the streets are still wet.    Long story short…. I was kind of hoping for a delay today!  I would love to go back to sleep for about an hour!   However…. not enough danger on the roadways, I guess.  So…it’s time to get ready for work.    Since exams a...

So, I have my “To Do” list for today made.  I’m hoping to get through a lot of it!   Most of it revolves around work, Girl Scouts, and the Princess’s school.     Had a really hard time sleeping last night.  I’m hoping tonight will be better.   Now…. to get everything I need ready to go to work. (I really hope I can remember all my passwords for everything at school today.  It has been a REALLY long time since I have used them!)

I have not been in hiding for almost two weeks. Although, there is a chance that I have avoided doing anything that could remotely be considered “routine” during this time.   December 19th was the last day that I worked for 2013.  (It was supposed to be Tony’s last day for the year too!)   December 20th, Tony and I spent the day at the Princess’s school assisting with the in-class parties. I am the chair of the Social Committee at the school for the PTC (Parent Teacher Committee).  My committee and I planned the in-class parties for 39 classrooms and 700 kids!  OMG!  (NOTE: This is not a top of the list thing to ever do again!)   Dec. 21-24, we worked on getting everything ready for Christmas. Our tree was up and decorated over Thanksgiving break, but that was all we had.  We had not purchased gifts or anything.  We had had NO TIME!  So…we crammed it into 4 days!  We got it done!   I did have to go to Walgreens on C...

Wow!  I can’t believe it’s been 5 days since I’ve written anything.  So, I’m going to try to catch up all the things I am thankful for.  I posted them on Facebook, so if you are my friend there, you already know these things, but I guess I just didn’t take the time to do it here.   Day 22: Thankful for Fridays. For some reason, this has been an EXTREMELY long week. Tonight we are going to the tree lighting and hanging out with family.   Day 23: I'm thankful for family time. Today, I got to sleep in....all the way to 8am! We may be heading to a Craft Bazaar at Hickory Ridge High School. We will be going to the Christmas parade in Concord....family tradition! We will be having fun knowing that the HOME team (CONCORD SPIDERS) are still undefeated for this season and moving on in the playoffs!   Day 24: I'm thankful for my nieces and nephews. I really do have a LOT of them. Mariah Rayne will be graduating this year! (How did I get so old?) Dorion P...

Wow!  I totally didn’t post yesterday. That means I didn’t tell what I am thankful for.   Day 20—I’m thankful for my friends. They are always there to help when I need them. I’m pretty sure that some of them are “sisters from other misters”.   Sometimes, they are my therapy sessions.   Day 21—I’m thankful for 2nd chances. It’s the little things that count. I forgot to post yesterday, but I have a 2nd chance to do it today. I have had many 2nd chances for big and little things in my life. With Christ, I’m thankful that He keeps giving me 2nd chances every time I mess up.   Yesterday, during my planning period, we had a meeting. It was only the 9th grade English teachers in it. We were discussing pacing, and how far along we should be in the curriculum already. Then we talked about the fact that next week, we have 2 days. When we come back after Thanksgiving, we have 3 weeks in December. Once we come back in January, we have 2 days the first week beca...

Thursday, I spent the entire day in training. Because of the class that I teach, there are special trainings I have to attend for strategies to teach the students. I could probably do it without the trainings, but for the school district to “allow” me to do it, I have to be trained.  (But…they pay for the training, materials, and my time!)   Obviously, I had a sub on Thursday. I got to my room yesterday only to realize that all my desks had been moved. They were no longer in the cool zig zag pattern my overly excited brain had designed.  No! They were in boring rows. ARGH!!!   I asked all three of my classes if they had moved them. When I got to 4th period (my 3rd class), I was informed by several students that the substitute said that my desk design was “bothering” her and she didn’t want it to “bug” her any more. So…. she rearranged my room! She also didn’t give the students all the assignments because she “talked to them”. (She left a note to that effect.)...

Today, I’m thankful for my job. Yes, I’m a teacher. Yes, I would love more pay and more respect. However, I never started teaching for the money. And, teenagers aren’t being taught respect; so I don’t expect any from them. (I try to gain some, and it is possible!! )   Two school years ago (2011-2012) I had my first teaching job. The students threatened me. They cursed at me. They had gang fights in the hallway every day. The question was never, “Was there a fight today?” The question was, “How many fights were there today, and how many of my students were in it?” We had a 6 hour lock down one day. (That’s a different story for a different day!)   Now, I’m at a great place. The staff love me or at least act like they do. The PTSO is awesome! The kids are great. The parents, for the most part, are involved in the education of their children.    I love my job! I’m thankful that I was given this opportunity last summer!