Finally

The last few weeks are always the strangest of the year. In April it seems like summer is so far away, but then you blink and it is summer. The last weeks go so fast and so slow at the same time. Crazy, crazy. But, it is finally over and summer break has begun. And this year I am really looking forward to summer. We are all moved and settled in the house. We have the pool and lots of time to enjoy it. I'm ready. We may take some short trips, but basically, we'll be hanging around the homestead and just enjoying our summer.

There are some things I need to do over the summer. I need to write some curriculum maps, read some books, and plan out the year for all my classes. And that is why I'm writing here. I have not taught AP Biology before. It will be a new course for me. So I need to create a curriculum map and plan out the units and lessons so that we are ready for the test. I need to do the same thing with chemistry, but that I'm more familiar with. I get paralyzed when I have to write curriculum for a new subject. I panic. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Actually, the truth of the matter is that I look at too much information. There are 1000 ways to teach AP Biology and I have looked at most of the websites. I have decided to follow a pacing guide/curriculum map from the College Board website. This is written by a knowledgeable, successful AP teacher and includes activities and links to websites and activities. I think this is a great way to start a new course, follow a tried and true path rather than create my own. So, I need to stop running off in a million directions. I've made a decision and I just need to stick to it. If I follow this curriculum and don't like it, I can change it as I go, but I should use it as a guide to get me going. I'm going to do the same thing with the AP Chemistry since I don't really like the NMSI curriculum. I feel like the packets are too simplistic in some ways and too complex in others. I know my students, I want to create a curriculum that will work for them. So I'm going to use the College Board stuff as a base and make adjustments as necessary. I am not going to second guess myself. I am not going to look at all other kinds of nonsense. I can look at things and they look good and then I get so many ideas and I forget them and then end up confused and lost. No more. I'm going to set out curriculum for all my classes and stick to it. I really want this year to be all laid out so I'm not scrambling trying to figure out what to do when. I want to be like Lisa was. She put zero effort into her biology class because she has a set curriculum that she follows and that makes life easier. I want that. Instead of spending my preps making copies or figuring out what to do in the next class, I can actually keep up on my grading and make learning meaningful. It is always the times when I don't plan that things fall apart. Okay, I feel better. That is the plan. Just follow the existing curriculum and take it from there. Whew!! I feel relieved.

Tomorrow I start my fitness regimen. I can't wait. I just want to feel more like myself and not so fat and lazy. I was going to start it on Friday, but Thursday I twisted my ankle. Unreal. So I gave the ankle a few days to rest and it feels fine, so tomorrow it is. I'll be up at 5ish and out the door by 5:30 or so. I want to walk for an hour. Tomorrow I also have a class at Planet Fitness to design a workout program. I plan on going to Planet Fitness at least 3 times a week to start. I would like to go more often just to get the habit in.

I really feel like this is my summer. This is the sumemr where I get back to myself and get to feeling like myself. I'm excited.