Chilled Out

And Back To School

Didn't do anything with the Boys tonight.

I felt colder than predicted--around 40F--because of a cold, persistent wind. Just couldn't muster the energy after a day at school to do much when I got home.

The Boys seemed just as happy to have dinner instead of being worked. I changed them into their heavier sheets instead of winter blankets. It's just not cold enough for the extra insulation.

Tomorrow bodes a mixed bag of weather. I am hoping it will stay cold enough to keep the stickiest mud at bay so I can turn Tucker out in the paddocks where the barn sits. Today he, Toby, and Chance were out in the arena and pasture where they cannot get into the barn. There are rows of trees to offer shelter, but if it rains or snows, that is a different story. And that is exactly what's in the forecast.

School was frustrating as the Internet connection was down all day. I did have computer or two in my lab that had kept the connection through the system breakdown, so I had basic access, but I did not have any way of getting any of the worksheets, quizzes, or other material I have stored on my network drive. Fortunately, I had set up most of the lesson material I needed this week last week, so I wasn't stuck for the day. However, my prep periods were mostly wasted as I couldn't do anything to set up materials for next week, or access the things I might need for Friday.

And, my students were supposed to be writing papers and they need to be able to use the computers. Trouble is, MS Word is located on the network drive and when the network is down, they are stuck. The poor computer technicians were working from early morning until well after school let out trying to find out where the problem was. My back storage room has one of the hubs to the network and the techs were in and out all day. They are a very competent crew and I'm sure they'll fix things, but I could tell they were frustrated.

It is amazing how dependent I have become on the computer in the classroom. It is such an efficient storage system for my work and, with a lab for my students, offers me a good number of creative ways to present information, to teach lessons, and get my students to respond. They definitely write better when they use computers and seem to take more pride in their work.

Tomorrow, I am taking my seniors on and in school field trip to the performing arts department to see a performance and then take a tour of the theater. They have a theater arts requirement for graduation and we're using this to fulfill a good part of the requirement. Then, on Thursday, they will be presenting special theater projects of their own. Should be fun if they did the work. As much as I am ready to retire, there are some things about teaching that are just too much fun.