Guess What?

Once upon a time, my mom asked me, "Guess what?" I responded, "It's almost Christmas." I'm pretty sure this began in July. Now, whenever I'm asked that question, my response usually is, "It's almost Christmas." We're so close to Christmas break at BFA, my students are using that phrase liberally in their conversations. "It's almost Christmas - can we have a party in class?" "Why do we still have homework? It's almost Christmas."

What makes teaching even more difficult than that is the fact that my students have already started leaving for Christmas break even though there's three days left. One of my students left after school Wednesday to celebrate the holidays in the same city as my family. I love Christmas, and I'm really excited to celebrate. I also love being able to walk, and I'm really excited to do that without mobility aids someday. However, today, there's still work and mobility aids to deal with. 

I have a stack of essays and a stationary bike both vying for my attention. This is one of the most difficult things for me because I have to grade my essays and I have to take care of my body. My goal was to grade all of the essays this weekend and hand them back to students on Monday. That would be the best teacher thing to do. However, my blood circulation is weaker in the winter, and I need to spend time moving my legs. I have to prioritize. I'm no good to my students if I am dead from a blood clot because I didn't take care of my body. It seems like a no brainer, but I'm still torn because a good educator provides timely feedback (particularly since my students have a second essay coming in before break begins).

I've had a lot of things to get done this week, and several still left to do, so I'd value your prayers for good sleep because that has eluded me the past week. I'm so grateful for the ongoing positive conversations with students where I see learning happening, but those are no excuse for me to be a sloppy teacher until break.