SUMMERRRR

It's SUMMER! I don't have the same joyous, carefree feeling I had last year, though, because I will be working. I got a job at a charter school in West Oakland (which I'm very excited about!) that starts after all the PD we have this week. I will mostly be doing Guided Reading and Workstations/Reader's Workshop, which is very exciting. I loved the Literacy Block in my classroom and I'm looking forward to doing that for three hours every day! My demo lesson was a little shaky--the school is in its first year of existence and they are still working out the kinks of supports, etc, and the students were ALL over the place. Hoping to do extensive modeling and training for them this summer--I'm confident the students will rise to the challenge!!

Plans for this summer? Training for and running a 5k (I'm no runner...but very excited for the challenge...hoping to eventually run a half-marathon), drinking lots of coffee at the new cafe down the street, reading a few teachery books (Guided Math, Reading With Meaning, and Spaces and Places), enveloping myself in the world of Murakami (currently reading 1Q84, deciding what to read next), teaching 3 hours a day, tutoring some lovely children, and beginning to plan our wedding! Just thinking about it is making me feel more excited. Now, onto my second day of summer...

"Ms. Estrada, you're getting married?! EWWWW"

Well. Life has been exciting. And is exciting. And will be exciting. School has been busy, busy, busy. We have one week and two days to go. My students are antsy, I'm antsy, we're trying to hold it all together, and all I really want to do is...jump up and down or lay on the floor or play silly games because....
I am engaged! My students pretty much lost it when they found out my "friend" Mr. David was actually my boyfriend David who is now my FIANCEE David. When I asked them if they thought I was old enough to get married, they vehemently shook their heads and cried "Noooo!" AC replied "Ms. Estrada, that's weird." Well, okay. A lot of parents in conferences have been asking me about it. It has been a stomach-stirring, frantic, wonderful few days and I really couldn't be happier.
Conferences have been going well-- I cried in AC's today. She's made so much progress, is so hilarious, and is just so endearing to me. I will miss these students dearly and as I was speaking about her to her parents today, I got misty.
Now back to my ever-growing to-do list before the end of this year.