this could be the very minute i'm aware i'm alive.

and so begins my new theme song "chocolate" by snow patrol...which holds perfectly true at this moment in my life.

i am usually the one who blogs most but i have not had much blogging activity since the beginning of the school year because of the same old story...i'm too busy!

i wish i had better reasons but alas no...i'm pretty tired when i get home and find zero energy to type messages to you all (i'm sorry to say). in fact, i got home late tonight...yet again!! i know it's halloween and i should go home early but decathlon had a "party" after doing their reading for the day...afterwards had to go to the store and return to school to set up a lab with potatoes tomorrow. that kept me at school til after 6...other days i stay that late because i must grade at school (since i will most likely not grade while at home...like right now). the quarter ends on friday...and i'm in the middle of grading 2 assignments....have 2 more labs from this week to get to, a review packet and a test by the end of the week.

teaching all biology is kind of nice because i can just focus on one subject and not have to worry over what life science does. people say that they get bored teaching the same thing all day but so far i have not felt that way...the only bad thing i can really see is that i have over 170 of every assignment to grade. everything takes longer to grade simply because i have more of them. this year has been better overall. i feel like i am better prepared, i don't have btsa to worry over (i'm tenured & clear-credentialed) and more organized than ever which ultimately helps in preparation. i guess this year's students could be better but let's face facts...i don't teach honors or ap so i will have good apples and bad apples. trying to fix it though and they seem to like me enough to want to do better in my class (i hope!) i do have students that i really do not like one bit...however, i think that my students show more respect for me this year...i did cover another biology teacher's 6th period and even though he said they were his "nice" class i found them quite disrespectful when they did not pay attention as i talked, kept having their conversations while they were supposed to be doing a lab & other such things - it made me like my bunch of students a bit more...even though they could be a little more quiet for me!

in non-school news...well, there isn't much. i see rodel every week...i see lisa once in a while...and the rest of you are nowhere to be found!! albert has at least contributed to the blog...as for kim - not a single word of communication since she left for boston which saddens me a little but i also understand since it must be such a busy year & there are other extra-curriculars that occupy her. patrick - despite living a short distance away has turned into a "memory" - have not heard a word since martyn's goodbye dinner...mayhaps we should try a dinner again...but sometimes i can't figure out the one day he doesn't play wow from dusk til dawn.

you ever feel that monday and tuesday are just the longest days ever? and thursday and friday seem to fly by? i remember when i student taught with mr. wilmoth he'd always start wednesday off by saying "happy hump day" because once you get past wednesday (the hump) then the rest of the week is smooth sailing...i'm really feeling it this year. tuesdays feel so long for some reason...and sometimes wednesdays are torture...but thursday/friday seem to go by quickly. i would wish people "happy hump-day" but you know how those young minds are! i also have some boys in my class who want me to join their "pirate cult" - apparently my initiation is to wear a pirate hat in school (at first for 5 days...then they said 1 day...and now it's down to one period). once i join i guess i am allowed to sing their merry pirate songs and partake in raids (whatever that means). i also had some girls in my fourth period who want to make me a costume dressed as a cell next year...they are very excited about it. did i ever tell you that the teenage mind is weird?

i hope you are all enjoying halloween...it is a special day for me because it is the "first kiss" anniversary for rodel and myself...and we celebrate by going to bed early! =) sad but true...i am pretty sure he's asleep now...and even though i type this to you, i'm tired enough to go to bed (although if i have the eyeball strength, i will try to grade a little before i pass out). the rest of you should have all the fun you desire...rodel and i work hard enough for all of us so let us be the tired ones... =)

happy hump day tomorrow...and if any of the rest of you in driving distance happen to read this, if you want to have a dinner or something this weekend i'd say hooray! =)