It's over!

Well, at least the two weeks from hell are.

I'm sitting in the hotel, having just got back from Denny's. I decided to treat myself to dinner there. It's only across the street, so it was a short trip. I changed out of my work clothes and put on a polo and shorts and drove over with my book. The place was practically empty, so I got sat at a booth immediately and I ordered a razzdango and eventually a club sandwich with a side of honey mustard sauce. I read for a long time and ate, it was nice to just sit and hang out.

I'm just full of joy right now, being done with teaching 28 classes in a row...what an ordeal! It feels almost anticlimactic that I only have two days off now, and then I have to do it again, but I think it's going to be much more easy-going the next 3 weeks. What a relief to have some time off to myself, finally. I even am celebrating further by ordering myself some snacks from Domino's later on. I'll fly out tomorrow, hopefully without any baggage problems, and then just relax Thursday and Friday while I catch up on some online reporting and other things for IRD. I'll try and get together with some friends as well, overall just getting some well-deserved downtime.

Today's classes were alright. I got to the site early, at around 7:20 probably, and immediately went over on the other side of the campus to find another teacher. I found him, and he gave me his keys having singled out the one for my room. I took them and unlocked my room and the one next door for Ben, and then brought him back his keys. I thanked him and went back in my room to set up. I had to move some of the tables back into Ben's room since I had taken them yesterday for my Level 5 class. So I got everything set up and read a bit more before class started. My Level 1 was first, and all things told it went much better than last week. Some of the kids are difficult to keep focused, especially a little boy named David who was brought to class rather late. I think this contributed to his lack of focus; he was exceptionally difficult to deal with. I was very close to putting him in time out. But the class went well; I think The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat was a bigger hit than Morris the Moose in week 1. We played a game ("word lightning") that went well at the end of class. Then I had my Level 2. Conversely, this class was a bit less successful than last week's; we read a couple stories in Inspector Hopper that they enjoyed marginally. My Level 4 was last, and whether due to the fact that almost all of the students in the class are good or that I was in a good mood for it being my last of 28 classes in a row, the class went quite smoothly. The only thing that didn't go so well was the long-word decoding lesson, half of which I had to skip. I've done it before, though, and I don't think it's a big deal. So after I taught, I packed up my stuff and played on the spinet for a while before leaving.

That's pretty much everything. So tonight I'm just gonna read some Reader articles, some Harry Potter, watch some Home Movies or Food Network, and get some good rest while snacking on Cinna Stix and Cheesy Bread, which just arrived.

Thanks to all for supporting me through this. The worst is over.

More updates to follow my hiatus.


-Alex