Out With Summer, In With Stress

Inevitably, at the end of every summer, the wonderful, beautiful bubble you are living in has to burst.

You're all happy vacationing here and there.  Following no set agendas but striking off things from your to-do list (occasionally).  Using alarm clocks as suggestions to wake up in the morning.

And then you are brought back to reality.

Like a needle meeting a balloon.

Because I don't know how to better lay this out, I'll make a list of my stresses:

1.  The biggest stress that I just found out yesterday (though I've had an idea that this was coming), this next year I will be teaching 8th grade science.  For the past 4.5 years I've taught 6th grade science.  The big difference, besides the declining behavior of the students, is in 8th grade there is a state standardized test, whereas in 6th grade there is not.  Which teaching a standardized test subject equals PRESSURE.

For the .5 year before I taught 6th, I taught 8th grade math.  It was my first year teaching, which is always a hard year for a teacher, so it's hard to really judge that year.  My students all performed the same as the other teachers students, but who's to say if that was due to me or the teacher that walked in after me?  I just have some insecurities when it comes to classroom management of 8th graders and test preparation.   

BUT that being said, as I was approached this past year about teaching 8th grade, I knew I wanted to take the new challenge.  As my hopes for grad school (this year anyways) faded, my hopes for a new challenge to peak my interest increased.  I've also have just gotten bored with where I am at.  I love it, yes, and if I had a family and serious life outside of work; it's exactly where I'd like to be.  But that's not my life right now.  And my life right now wants me to show that I can accomplish big things and jump big hurdles along the way to do those things.  And show that I am capable of motivating kids and getting them to pass the state test.

2.  Due to my roommate moving north, the unfortunate timing of our lease ending, and the late availability of my new apartment: Exactly one day after I go back to work my new lease begins and I will have 4 days to complete my entire move.  Haha, it's even crazier sounding when I typed it out like that!

3.  OH, and because I have a new position at work, I will have a new location of my classroom.  And that requires moving.  Cause if your moving your home, you may as well move your work too at the same time.  Just to get it all out of the way in one big she-bang.  Kinda like ripping a band-aid off, if the band-aid included carrying heavy objects around.

4.  Last weekend I decided it was do or die on the DIY project I wanted to do all summer long; repainting my dining room table.  I'll have to make a whole other post about this later.  But let me just say now, I am still in the process of stripping the paint (and I've worked on it every day since Sunday).  If I would have known the time and money that it took to go into this project, I would have never started it.  But now I'm way too far in to turn back and the clock is ticking for me to finish it before I go back to work and have to move every single possession I own in this world!

(Taking deep breaths, trying not to panic.)

Soooo... Good-bye summer (and if you want to take the heat with you, we'd all REALLY appreciate it), and hello stress!