Currently July

Listening:  Seriously Carli Lloyd is a beast. If only I was half that talented at any...sport...thing...life? Me and sports just don't mix, this would be a compliment, a very good compliment indeed...

Loving:  We bought a house and if you follow me on Instagram you are probably already sick of me talking about it non stop, but to bad its all my brain can focus on. Like all day, all night. And we are just SUPER excited to get moved in and start enjoying the house. 

Thinking:  My life feels very chaotic right now, we have a house with bedroom furniture, a apartment full of boxes, a side job coming up this week and a to do list with at least a million items currently unchecked off. I keep reminding myself just tackle one thing at a time but that is proving very hard to focus on when my brain is a hamster wheel spinning with project after project. And then I think hey, I should blog, then I find myself lost in the world of pinterest looking at laundry room inspirations for an hour. No blog post, nothing checked off my to do list. Its a ugly ugly cycle.

Wanting:  Time and Money. Summer is flying by, I have two side jobs lined up in July and multiple leadership meetings penciled in on my calendar. I obviously need the money but it would be nice to get a week of relaxing by the pool in during the summer. Or be able to set up and clean the new house. Or spend a small portion of time working on school stuff for next year. Or go visit my family. So I definitely just want more time. Don't we all.

Needing:  Time and Money. See above. I feel like we are hemorrhaging money ever since we signed on the dotted line...a million and one times. We needed a bed. A new bed meant a new mattress. Which means new sheets. Comforter. And that is just one room. Winning the lotto would be nice right about now.

All Star:  I do realize that this post sounds incredible whiny and a little ungrateful, don't get me wrong I am over the moon happy that we found a house we liked and were able to buy it. But one of my best/worst qualities is overthinking everything. Generally my tendency to overthink is great for the classroom, I use a lot of time to solve problems or see how I can handle situations more efficiently in the future. But in the case of a house and too many hours watching HGTV my overthinking is a little unrealistic and self sabotaging. 

My big goal for the next month is just to take it one day at a time, accomplish what I can and enjoy the house and the little bit of down time I have left this summer. Perhaps that means blogging, perhaps it doesn't but I will hopefully be sharing more house pictures once we are all moved in and settled. Or something like that.

What Would You Do?

Teach summer school they said, it would be fast and easy. 

Lies.

Hands down the hardest longest nine days of my life.

Don't worry we will provide the curriculum they said.

Lies.

The 'curriculum specialist' copied and pasted the curriculum from last summer, when classes were only three hours not five and a half hours. He couldn't even be bothered to update the dates.

All supplies will be handled by the summer school office, they said.

Lies.

The twelve pencils they provided us did not even support half of our students. They lasted half a day. We have 31 male students, 26 are non English speaking and six Spanish dictionaries. There were a total of twenty chairs the first day, 36 bodies.

The mentor will handle all of the copies, email them if you have any problems they said.

Lies.

We have arrived early, unpaid, every single day to make copies. They don't answer emails. Not sure what they are being paid for. Showing up?

If the kids break the summer school contract they are out, they said. Zero chances and zero tolerance.

Lies.

Kids curse each other out, fight, break bathroom doors and are sexually harassing you and all they get is a ten minute 'time out' in the library. 

The district and state laws state there will be 10 students to one teacher, they said.

Lies.

There are 31 boys in our classroom with only two teachers. And this is after they leveled the classes by hiring one extra teacher on day four.

You will get paid for the time you work, they said.

Lies. 

The first staff meeting after school lasted thirty minutes, at the end it was mentioned those were unpaid times so if we didn't want to know what was going on, don't show up. I have arrived at least 30 minutes early each day to make copies and plan. I have stayed at least an hour later every day in order to enter grades and notes in each of their files. But they adjust my clock ins and outs to fit their schedule.

You must enter a note in their file each day, you will have access to their files they said.

Lies. 

I made it the first six days before having access, even knowing who was SPED, ELL, 504, this was after three different forms of contacting people on my own time. I just received my final ARD Friday, day nine of summer school.

The day will be structured, structure is important with this demographic they said.

Lies.

The first day it took us over two hours to even get the students into the classrooms. Each day this wastes nearly thirty minutes of the day. When the afternoon buses arrive they get on the announcements and tell the kids to go, classroom management no no. This doesn't mean the school day is over, just that they want the kids gone so why not let them out 15 minutes early each day. Rhyme or reason doesn't matter.

I wanted to quit the first day. I wanted to cry the first day. I wanted to know why the kids who are struggling the most are being tossed aside as if they mean nothing. Because frankly that message is the only thing these students have learned during summer school.

I have taught this demographic for four years, I knew what to expect. I have taught summer school before with this demographic, I knew what to expect. What I didn't expect was that the administration would be so disorganized, unsupportive and not follow through with a single thing they said.

I stuck it out, I don't quit jobs and frankly I need the money more than I needed my sanity or a relaxing summer. 

But on Tuesday this week we will be state testing these students. Understaffed, without the proper facilities and after allowing these students to do whatever the fuck they wanted for ten straight days. For any teacher that has administered a state tests you know the stakes are high and on the line could easily be your teaching license if there are testing irregularities. In writing I have already pointed out many irregularities with their current disorganized set up and they were politely read and blown off. 

So what would you do?

Show up Tuesday and the run the high risk of a testing irregularity essentially hurting your teaching certificate.

Call in sick and let them just deal with the mess they have created, protect yourself.

Or another alternative that I am not seeing because I am too close and too angered by the situation.

Currently June

Why, hello there!

Yep, nearly six months later I have decided to resurface. 

Perhaps there is something about logging another year in the books today that made me long for a little blogging. Or perhaps it's the idea of a summer without blogging that seems a little off. Or perhaps it's the fact that no one was available to hang out after school and sitting here dwelling on how I ended the year is unhealthy, so why not drink and blog. So much healthier!

What better way to dip my toes back into blogging then a little Farley Currently action? 

Listening:  

My obsession with Fixer Upper, well all HGTV shows, is unhealthy at best. They are based out of Waco, so darn cute and seriously I want all of her wardrobe. Like now.

Loving:

There are some super scary fun changes on our horizon. I will leave it at: House Hunting. I am super superstitious and won't say more than that. 

Thinking:

Lovely Texas changed the rules on us and our 8th graders don't have to pass both the reading and math state tests, just reading. So my summer school options were limited to reading. Not a subject I feel strong in teaching. AT ALL. But I need the money, see the loving section, so I am nervous about teaching six straight hours of reading each day.

#teachergoals

Wanting:

Besides teaching summer school, I am also test proctoring and doing assessment writing. Then moving, hopefully. So I don't foresee more than two-three weeks of actually non work time this summer so my main goal is to squeeze in as much relaxing when possible. 

Needing:

I adore what I teach, enjoy my students despite their many challenges but I have a large problem working/making friendships with my co workers. I just don't connect. Sometimes I wonder if the problem is me, but I have no problem making friends in other circumstances, and seriously I can't be friendly with someone who I feel is incompetent. Regardless of how I feel about my co workers, I will be teaching at the school another year so I need to change my attitude by August or continue feeling frustrated by other people which is definitely unhealthy. Thank god for summer.

Summer Lovin:

With all the extra work and moving going on this summer I want to make sure I give quality time to:

myself, the man, the bestie who is moving in with us, my sister and my mom/brother and dad.

Obviously that is ambitious but I know that in order to recharge my batteries this summer I need to hit all of the categories.

Tomorrow morning (7:45) I will knock out my last staff meeting and hopefully turn my keys in by noon and close the doors on this school year. Despite my crazy summer itinerary I plan to soak up the sun and enjoy my weekend before summer school starts, and hopefully return to this blog a little more often over the coming days of freedom!

My Life...According to Buzzfeed

Don't try and lie, we all have taken 1 or 100 Buzzfeed quizzes... sometimes a few repeats just to get the answers you really want. No, just me?!? Really its a black hole, you take one quiz and then you see all these suggestions for other quizzes you might be interested and an hour later you emerge unsure of what you just did with your life and unwilling to admit what you just did. But not today my friends, I think you can really learn a lot about me through these results!

And I will cross my fingers...every answer below was received on my first and only try on the quiz. Just to keep the post honest and all.

My 2014 in 18 words or less!

You’re pretty 2014, which means that you pay attention sometimes to the things that happen around you. Woo!

I owe most of these to teaching middle schoolers...not the champagne that would be weird...but knowing what words like bae even mean. The important stuff.

My Personal Song for 2015

Your 2015 anthem is “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by C+C Music Factory. Your year will be full of sweating and dancing and more sweating. Maybe 40% dancing and 60% sweating.

I don't really get the whole sweating thing, dancing I will take...but sweating? I also had to spotify this song to even know what it was so good signs...good signs.

Which Nashville character are you?

Perhaps this explains the sweating...trying to reclaim my glory days?

Which “Gossip Girl” Character Should Be Your BFF?

You got: Nate Archibald

You’re adventurous and spontaneous, but also have a deep desire to be taken seriously. Nate might be a little gullible, so you’ll need to always have his back, even when disaster strikes.

Generally I am the gullible one, so this friendship is doomed.

Which Justin Timberlake Song Are You?

You’re sexy and you know it! You’re confident and assertive, so people can’t help but to swoon when you pass by. Keep on workin’ your fine self!

I didn't even read the results...cause them eyes...them eyes...

What Kind Of Co-Worker Are You?

You got: The Optimist

At work, you are generally happy and get along well with your co-workers. The pessimists are always weary of your friendliness but they are bound to come around. You are helpful and courteous. You are awesome to work with and are a team player, but take it down a notch, you’re making others look bad. Pet peeve = negativity.

Buzzfeed...you know me so well!

Which Hot Guy Do You Deserve For Christmas?

You got: Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth emerged into the world like a true bolt of lightning on Aug. 11, 1983, making him a fierce Leo next to your free-spirited Gemini. You’ll be an extravagant couple wherever you go. ;)

Please and thank you!

Which Shameless character are you?

Responsible and dependable...but the mister might disagree with the word practical.

What Major Award Should You Get?

You got: Pulitzer Prize For Fiction Or Journalism

Your curiosity and imagination is best channeled through written word. So get back to work writing your Great American Novel, or keep investigating that topic that fascinates you. People deserve to hear your ideas!

This one is hilarious, if you have read my blog you know I can't write to save my life...grammar is just not my jam.

WHICH 'PRETTY LITTLE LIARS' CHARACTER ARE YOU?

And so that's it. Me in 10 Buzzfeed quizzes...

kind of oblivious

super sweaty

trying to reclaim my glory days...the ripe age of 21?

looking for someone equally as guillable

them eyes...them eyes...

goodie two shoes

I deserve rock hard abs...or a leo...

super responsible and practical

my blog could be a novel

a little bit of an outsider!

One of those might be a lie!

Linking up with: Carly, More Pieces of Me and On the Daily Express.

Hello 2015

I have been going back and forth over the last few days trying to figure out if I wanted to set New Year's Resolutions or not. Last year I didn't but I did a monthly goal blog post and made it all the way to July before I stopped blogging, thus stopped setting goals. The year before I pretty much forgot I even set New Year's Resolutions by April, so I wouldn't call that a win.

New Year's Resolutions can be tricky, make too many and you will overwhelm yourself by February 1st. Make too few goals and you will see no real change. And none of us own a crystal ball to be able to predict the curve balls life is inevitable going to throw our way at some point this year. 

I saw this beautiful graphic on Simply Clarke's blog and knew that I wanted to create something similar, a constant reminder of what I want to improve about myself without any real specific goal.  I haven't gotten to play with picmonkey in way too long so hopefully this stirred up my creative and blogging juices as well...

My thought process is each week I will make five goals around these topics and work on those for the week. It might be as simple as workout five times, call Time Warner to get a cheaper bill or take a bubble bath or as big as complete my Capstone project...eek!. My awesome 2015 planner has this open section at the bottom where I plan to write them down, so I might not be blogging about my goals but I will be setting them. 

This is the year I will turn 30 so for me these quotes, goals and dreams all are based on becoming the best version of myself: self confident, positive, healthiest, financially stable and most importantly to stop talking and start doing!  

So how do you handle New Year's Resolutions: set them, monthly, daily...none?