Summer

     I can smell it. I can feel it. My brain is beginning to wrap up the school year and decide how I want to leave my room. It's summer. It's coming. 15 1/2 more days in the countdown. Come on down, summer!
     In some ways I cannot believe it is summer already. It seems like just a week ago I was planning my syllabus and looking up new lesson plans for the coming year. I had 2 classes of juniors in the fall along with a class of freshmen. In the spring I had two classes of sophomores and a class of freshmen. We work on a block schedule. The kids take 6 classes a school year; 3 in the fall and 3 in the spring. I personally love this schedule. With only 3 classes a day the periods run from 95 to 110 minutes each. There is a ton of time to really get involved each day. We can do reading and a grammar lesson and then still do the curriculum every day. We have time to get in groups and work or go to the computer lab and really spend some time to get a project accomplished. And because I only have 63 students for each fall and spring, I get to know them better. We become a cohesive group. They know what to expect from me and what I expect from them. I like it.
     The first year I taught I was at another school in the district; I may have mentioned that before... Any who...that high school had the regular 6 period day of which a teacher taught 5 and had a prep period in the middle of the day. Each period was only 50 minutes long. I always felt like I was behind and also that there were things unfinished everyday. The days went quickly but the year seemed to stretch on forever.
     So, where was I? Oh, yes, summer. Yay! It's coming. I have so many things I want to do this summer. Every year I have a long list of items I have put off "until summer." I think most teachers do this. I usually get about half of the things accomplished that are on my list every summer. This summer I would really like to take a long trip back east, but if we do that I won't get all the other things done from my list. What to do, what to do? So, you ask, what does Jody have planned for her summer? Here's the list:
Read at least two books(I have several dozen on my list to choose from)
Tear out a planter in my back yard.
Build a pergola and plant wisteria to vine over it someday.
Replant some of my succulents.
Plant an apple tree and a peach tree (already have...just waiting).
Write 3 blogs a week (yeah, right)
Finish 2 or more quilts I have as UFOs (for those of you who don't quilt that means Unfinished Objects).
Perfect a vegan cookie recipe.
Experiment with making my own gluten free crackers.
Download a list of songs I have collected over the past 6 months and sync my iPod.
Get my syllabuses ready for classes in August.
Take lots of naps.
Go to the movies in the afternoons and eat popcorn.
Get pictures to go with all the numbers on my phone.
Do the tutorial for Windows 8.
Do a PowerPoint on plagiarism.
Paint some patio chairs I bought at an estate sale last month.
Go to estate sales every Friday.
Visit my son and daughter-in-law in San Francisco.
Visit my best friend in Bakersfield (yes, I know it will be hot).
Take lots of naps. (oh, wait, I already said that.)
Work on getting a caterer for an quilt auction we're having in September.
Schedule a walk through of the venue for the auction.
Contract a security guard for the auction.
Make some small items for the boutique at the auction.
Replant a wine barrel out in the front of the yard.
Lay down some walking paths in the backyard.
Prune the rosebushes.
Clean out and vacuum out my car.
Watch all 6 seasons of Northern Exposure.
Catch up on the whole last season of Merlin.
Work on novel. Get at least two chapters done.
Take car trips every week with Doug so we can listen to our books.
Sleep in; (not to be confused with taking lots of naps).
     I'm sure I have left things out. And the funny thing is that I will get stuff done that is not ON the list. But I guess that's o.k. They are things I will want or have to do any way someday. As long as they don't interfere with my naps.