Day 77 of Year 16:  Actually the beginning of the REAL teaching year.  I have 205 students at this point (I think).  After all these years of teaching you'd think I would feel like I know what I'm doing but I don't seem to be feeling that way.  At all.  I woke up still wondering where I'm going to put everyone - and their work (paper supply shelves will have to be sacrificed...), what I want to do on the first day (as my husband said to me last night, "You had all summer to do this and you're doing it NOW?!"  So I 'm sitting at 6:00 a.m. thinking of my agenda and the most effective beginning I can imagine.

Oh, and one of my AP Studio kids contacted me last night to say he wasn't prepared and he was already disappointed in himself.

Oh, and a parent of another students sent an email to say her son is desperate to get out of school all together - transfer - because I'm sure he isn't prepared either.

What happened to kids being excited to start a new year?  New clothes and new materials?  New, exciting possibilities?

School (the concept and intent) needs to be reconsidered in a new format.  We are losing too many kids - and teachers - and no one seems to be able to stop this speeding train.

I think art and creativity is the solution - but then, that's just me and my one voice.