My Schedule, My Tummy, And Other Musings

Dear readers,

I apologize for my infrequent updates; I assure you it is not a result of lethargy or a lack of a desire to reconnect on my end. Simply put, I am as busy as I've ever been; however, I can also happily report that I am as content as I am busy. Sometimes I have so much work to do that I psych myself out and feel intimated to tackle the simplest of tasks, but today was different. I awoke at 8:30 AM, worked until this very moment (11:54 PM), accomplished a number of things that I needed to, and enjoyed it while I did. To give you an idea of my day today...

• 8:30 AM - Wake up, read Introduction and Lesson Plan 1 from REWARDS (a standardized approach to teaching "decoding", a basic reading skill)
• 9:30 AM - Take train to 14th Street - Union Square to meet with Tony Vargas, my Teach for America manager
• 10:00 AM - Meet with Tony, discuss my goals this year
• 12:30 PM - Back to the apartment, finalizing details for lesson plan tomorrow
• 3:00 PM - Finalizing details for Tuesday's lesson plan
• 6:00 PM - Writing emails, strategizing how to build a classroom library and get my students books that will interest them ASAP
• 7:00 PM - Calling parents of students to report a positive first week, let them know they can reach out to me at any time
• 8:00 PM - Grade writing diagnostic tests for 8th graders 
• 9:30 PM - Draft lesson plan for Wednesday
• 10:45 PM - Draft lesson plan for Thursday
• 11:45 PM - Lay on air mattress, recite daily schedule to audience of adoring readers, settle in for a few hours of sleep

It sounds insane, and that's because it is, but I am not lying when I say I find great purpose and pleasure in it. I realized today that I am just a few weeks from 25 years old - a quarter of a century. At this point in my life, I am well pleased with who I am, what I am doing and where I am going. I don't know if everyone can say that with equal ardor. I don't mean to sound arrogant, I just feel like you should know - I'm doing something crazy and it's kicking my butt... but I like it. 

I hope some of you can visit me sometime soon. Every so often I get pinched with a desire to be in Chicago, Denver and even Champaign-Urbana. I am reminded of the wise words of Miley Cyrus when she sings, "My tummy's turnin' and I'm feeling kinda homesick. Too much pressure and I'm nervous." But I am here, I have one week of teaching under my belt, I'm about to get 5 happy hours of sleep, and I am ready for week 2 and beyond. 

Hizzah,

Josh