How's it going for you on this loverly Sunday afternoon? The sun is shining bright here (not that I've been out in it yet!) and life is good.
So, good news/bad news. Which do you want first? Bad news? I thought so! It's best to get it over with quick, doncha think? Just rip it off like a band aid!
Okay, bad news is that the strike is still on. There was a glimmer of hope on Friday when our union asked for binding arbitration (which would put an end to this strike) but then the government said "No!" I am beyond pissed about it. Here we are trying to figure out how to end this thing and we put something on the table that could go in our favour or against it. I mean, binding arbitration leaves it up to the middle man. We are willing to gamble and take what we get (good, bad or ugly) in terms of wages, benefits and prep time. This is a pretty big step seeing as how those three things are pretty important items to most teachers. So, we put ourselves out there and showed that we want this over. And what does our government do? They refuse!!!! They keep saying that they want this strike to end but, when asked to walk the walk, they just aren't doing it. I think my first word of the day when we get back in to school should be hypocrite with a big old picture of our premier and education minister beside it. AARGH!!!!!
Now for some good news...because anyone who knows me knows that I always try to see the glass half full (or totally full at times!)... I decided to just get on with getting on in terms of school stuff and spent the morning reworking my assessment pages for basic skills in grade 1 and 2. Now all I have to do is print them out, photocopy them and pop them into the portfolio duotangs waiting at school and I'll be ready to roll! So, I have something off my school To Do list! Yay me!
Getting my basic skills assessments done may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things (and, really, it is) but I am going positively stir crazy not teaching. I can't believe I am saying this but I am actually tired of reading! Since the strike started in mid-June I have read 48 books. Yep, 48!!! Maybe I'll have to switch over to education texts. Hmmm....there's a thought!
So, anywho, not sure if my skills assessment would be useful to anyone else but thought I'd send it out there just in case someone could find a use for it. Help yourself! Remember that it is an assessment to be used all year. Some of the skills on it are what a student is expected to know at the END of the year in my district.
Oh, and, please leave me a comment if you download it. And if you think of anything I can do to tweak it. I'm sure I missed some things! Just click on the link below to go to it.
Cheers!
Olwyn
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