Usually when I have work to do I need to go to the local coffee shop to focus. Unfortunately, since I've been working on the National Boards I need to work at home to have the abilities to print at whim, have multi-piles of papers scattered all over the house, and work on dueling computers. It wasn't until I started working at home again this week, that I realized why I need to leave the house: the pooches are a huge distraction.I like working near the window and I sit on the cushion and have my dueling computers set up around me. Unfortunately this makes me really attractive to the pooches as they have tried numerous attempts to sit in my lap, and Miss M. has even tried to usurp her pillow back and take over the dueling computers.
I created a barrier with our movable ottomans, but that doesn't always stop Miss M.So I send the dogs to bed awhile, but then I feel bad because I know how much Mr. B. likes to watch TV so I let them out again. Then I start wondering what Mr. B. is looking at and I start looking out the window with him.
Then I see Miss M. laying in "pray" position and all of a sudden I want to mark that behavior and start dog training. And when Mr. B. is sleeping in front of me like this I get the sudden urge to tickle his feet.
And when Mr. B. gets up to smell the flowers it reminds me I need to add water to them:
And when I get back Miss M. has usurped my space again.
On a work-related note, I'm in the final stretch of submitting my portfolio .I mentioned before, but this an extensive program demonstrating how you are a "Master Teacher"; only 3% of teachers in the nation have this degree. And now I understand why.It's this extensive process where you need to analyze every single thing you do, explain it, and provide evidence. It doesn't sound too bad at first, but then you realize you only get 6 months to complete it and you need to demonstrate nearly a year's worth of work, all while teaching 150 students at the same time. Plus, it makes you feel really bad about yourself. My only comparison is this: there used to be a show on Discovery(?) about a man who met different tribes and tried their customs. One custom was to take this drug that unleashed all the repressed memories and you were forced to face every single terrible thing you've done in your life. That's kind of what this process is like. I need to analyze all the things I normally do, and I'm suddenly feeling very inadequate. But this is all the "process" we take to make ourselves better teachers. And I do enjoy pain. I have to take the test in June, but then I don't find out my scores until November. This will probably be the last post you read about this. And here is Miss M. where she finally decides to sit nicely next to me while I'm working.
