Let's sing our problems away...

Ah, the weekend. It came at just the right time, as usual. School has been tough. My grade is overcrowded, but not enough to create a new classroom. I just got my 34th student. Oy vay! And we're short on a few books, so I've had to use some of my precious copies on things that we're supposed to have. Not quite sure what's going to happen when the Williams people come for a visit...they are the people who are in charge of the Williams law, which mandates that there be enough books for every child. But if we don't have them, well, we don't have them...

So, 34 kids, not enough materials, and the kids are just out of 3rd grade and adjusting to a class with so many students. In 3rd grade there were only 20 kids in a class. And, I don't know why it is, but 32 kids (the amount we're supposed to have) feels fine, but 34 feels like 50.

Yesterday I was at full force all day. I worked through lunch, then the kids had their library time (my planning time,) and I stayed 2 hours after school setting things up for next week. There was a bulletin board to change, planning to do, more copies, and getting ready for ELD mixing, which begins on Monday. That's when we have some of our own kids and some from other classes and do a language lesson at their language level for the bilingual kids. I have 32 in that group, last year I only had 25.

So, yes, it's been busy and hectic and a little frustrating because there's no end in sight and our missing items are on backorder until October.

I wish I could be one of those people who lets things just roll off my back and not internalize them. I wish, I wish, but I'm not. I'm a worrier and things stay in my brain and roll around in there for a while. If I could choose anything to improve, I think I would just wish that the kids would calm down a little more. I've had to be a real disciplinarian this week, which I don't enjoy. But with 34 kids, a little noise becomes a lot very quickly. I have to nip some things in the bud right from the start just so we can get things done.

OK, enough whining and venting from me. Time to sing! Here are a few recent ones I've done. Click on the song titles to hear them...and thanks for listening! (To the singing and the venting! LOL!)

THEY CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME

AMAZING GRACE (I'm really happy with this one :-)

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME

DAYS OF WINE OF ROSES


P.S. regarding my last entry, no news yet...