Has It Really Been a Month?

That is the question I was forced to ask myself as I sat down to share some thoughts with all of you. Unfortunately the answer is "yes" and I am faced with the realization that in the past month I have become one of those people who gets so busy and frantic that they never take the time to enjoy the simple things around them. I made a promise to myself years ago to never become that person......ouch! I guess its time to keep promises and start working harder to not work so hard that I become a lunatic! Ask the students...they can probably vouch for the lunatic part. So with that said and my world back in check, let's get caught up on some things!

1. Student Led Conferences
I must start here because I was absolutely thrilled with the turn out and how the conferences ran. I owe a big thank you to everyone who was able to bring their child with them and were willing to try something new. While the conferences had their bumps and awkwardness at times, I think overall the experience was one that the students truly benefited from. I totally enjoyed seeing the interactions between parents and their children and loved the fact that I was able to celebrate their success and make suggestions for improvements with the students sitting right there to hear it first hand. Hopefully this will start a trend for us in fourth grade and now that the "mystery" part of the process is over, everyone will be less nervous the next time...myself included! Can we do it again for the next round of conferences?

2. Thanksgiving
One of the reasons I found myself getting behind and overwhelmed lately is all the changes in my family's personal lives that have recently taken place. To begin, my parents retired back in the spring and have begun fulfilling their lifetime dream of traveling around the country. They sold my childhood home, purchased a new truck and fifth wheel and hit the road! I have to say they are loving every minute of it, but it has forced me to realize how different things will be for my family for the years to come. This was the first Thanksgiving with my parents being away and while I usually hate the chaos of trying to visit two families and eat two dinners, Thanksgiving didn't really feel the same. Don't misunderstand me. I talk to my parents every single day and if my computer connection at my house wasn't so slow we would Skype each other more often, but it is not the same as seeing them in person. Especially when you have two young children. And not to say it is easy for my parents either. But, alas, it forces you to evaluate things in a new way....and unfortunately for me, to grow up some as well.

Some of you know already that my mother in law has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has begun treatments recently. This meant for the first time, she was unable to cook Thanksgiving dinner. I was thrilled and honored when she asked me if I would fill in for her and do the cooking. Thanks to my awesome sister-in-law we pulled it off. And, while it was delicious, again, it still wasn't the same. My wife and her mother are extremely close and it hasn't been easy for my wife with how far away we live from our families.

While it may seem like I am dumping a lot of personal stuff on you (I am) it is for a couple of reasons:
1. I truly believe that I won't ever get to know my students and their families until they get to know me. This includes life outside of the classroom. I always tell the kids to take a second and think about what may be going on outside of school before they judge someone. Hopefully they have done this for me when I've been a little snappy from time to time.

2. Take time to appreciate your family and let them know how important they are to you. Make your time together special and meaningful.

I am making an early New Year's Resolution to get back to posting at least once a week. Even if I don't have anything to say....which rarely happens!

Thanks for letting me vent....now I can go back to breathing and get back on track!

Don't ever let your mind stop you from having a good time,


Mr. Fletcher