It's a sickness

I am so pathetic. Yesterday was the last teacher day. Everyone is our building has to switch rooms except three of us. So who do you think was the last teacher in the building? You guessed it, the one with the least amount of work to do.

I couldn't help it. As I started to clean everything up, I also started to plan for next year. I started to envision my room and library, the changes I would make, the things I would keep the same. I saw so much growth this year in my kids, I can hardly wait until next year. Notice, I said hardly. I do enjoy summer and look forward to it. I love spending time on the lake with my kids, reading, completing projects around the house, and just keeping up with housework. However, when I'm in my classroom, I can't help to get excited about having the opportunity to teach kids again.

I will be attending several workshops this summer. I will attend the ALL WRITE summer institute (can't wait to hear Ellin Keene speak), a workshop by SDR on Autism (I will have an autistic boy in my room next year), and one at Purdue University on English Language Learners (I had 9 ELL students in my room this year...I need some ideas on how to teach reading to this population that can't rely on meaning). I look forward to all of these... Habe I already mentioned I'm a geek?

I am so fortunate to work for a corporation that values staff development. I appreciate my corporation and principal more and more as I hear and read other teachers' experiences.
I love to read professional books, but there is something about attending a conference or workshop with other professionals, that just can't be duplicated in a book.

Well, I plan to blog as a way to keep an online reader's notebook for myself this summer. So you will be hearing from me soon. (Give me some time to clean my house first...the last weeks of school were not kind to the house)