2010, be prepared for changes!

I have been such a bad blogger since I started working in my new classroom.  I have been so stressed in making sure the changes I have made stick with my students.  Needless to say, when I get home, all I want to do is veg.

Well, that will change for the second semester of the school year, but more importantly for 2010 as well.

So, before I jump into what I want to change for the new year, I will recap what has happened with me in the last few months:

- I started working in a high school.  Oddly enough, it is the high school I graduated from back in 1996.  Does it feel weird?  Not anymore, but it did at first.  I enjoy working with the students and although they are mostly not motivated for much, I can’t blame them for coming in so late in the school year.  But I truly feel I belong there.  Those students need someone nurturing as well as someone who will try their hardest to motivate them academically.

- I signed my teaching contract on November 16th, making me an official teacher in the CCSD, Las Vegas’ local school district.  While I have been subbing since 2006, and long term subbing since last school year, it is an awesome feeling to know that the classroom I report to everyday is truly mine!

- Michael started pre-Kindergarten in September.  He loves it!  We have noticed his speech is building through vocabulary, but his lisp is becoming more prominent as he is still stubborn about giving up his thumb-sucking habit.  I will be looking into speech therapy this year so we can get him in before he starts Kindergarten in August.  Can you believe my baby will be five years old in a few months?

- Leilani has been pushing along in the fourth grade.  We have had many trials this school year with her.  She had to transfer to a new school due to rezoning.  She did not want to leave her previous school since she had been there since she was in Kindergarten.  Unfortunately, the principal would not budge on giving us a zone variance, despite both Scott and I being school district employees.  So much for the better, though, as I feel she is more apt to grow in her learning process at her new school since it is a more diverse population of students.  The other school was mostly upper class from the surrounding neighborhoods.  It was not a good thing when it came to parental point of views between Scott and I and the other parents.  Leilani has turned ten years old today.  I cannot believe that a whole decade has passed!

- Scott went from being a kitchen manager in a high school to a floating manager within the district, mostly being used to fill in for sick calls of other managers and training staff when requested.  We are hoping this will lead to a more permanent position as a trainer for the Food Service department of the school district.

Now that I have 2009 behind me, I have 2010 to look forward to.  I anticipate big things happening for me, even if they may not be for the best for me.  I have to finish some classes to get my pay increase with the school district.  I have Gary Soto visiting my school and four of our English classes, which I am in charge of putting together and organizing.  I am looking to possibly start my Master’s program in the fall.  And I have all these little goals that will lead to big things.

So, my resolutions are pretty simple this year:

1. Stay organized at home and work.
2. Stay on top of one room to clean each day of the week at home.
3. Lose 20 pounds.
4. Write everyday (teaching reflections, creative writing, etc.)
5. Start putting my reflections together in a book of my first year of teaching.
6. Blog at least four times a week. (Everyday is way too ambitious for me, but I will at least try to!)
7. Do not bring any work home on the weekends or breaks, unless absolutely necessary.
8. Work on my family relationships (wife, mother, etc.).
9. Keep more connected with friends.
10. Help Leilani have a better relationship with her biological father.

#10 is really Leilani’s resolution for this year, but she asked for my help.  She understands that while her Mommy and Daddy are not together, we have a very LONG history together.  We were friends before dating and having her.  Oddly enough, despite him ticking me off every now and then, we are still pretty good friends.  We get along without having to be too civilized and overly friendly with each other.  I guess you can say we are at ease with each other…

I will also be posting more reviews and articles.  I really need to stay on top of my journalism writing.  I haven’t been doing very well with posting the articles I had wanted to in 2009.  Guess that means I won’t have any real need to brainstorm new ideas for this year!  LOL

So, 2010, watch out!  I have a feeling I won’t be the only one kicking some serious butt to get ahead this year…