Tales from the science classroom

 After my last post, I sat and went through the modeling curriculum and worked out that I was in Unit 6 of modeling. No worries, I just jumped right in. We did a lab, always a good way to start things, and next week we work on naming compounds - that should be fun. Anyway, the point is I feel much more comfortable with the curriculum. I know what I'm doing and I'm able to guide them to the correct answers. We went back to whiteboards at the tables instead of the standing at the whiteboards. We presented and did a power clap and it was good. Classes went much smoother and I was much happier.  It really did wonders for my mental health too. I was not completely exhausted by the end of the day. I had energy when I got home. I actually felt like doing things. It was amazing. So I can conclude that my total exhaustion was most likely due to mental fatigue. Well, I'm sure starting working out again helped a lot.  So things are a whole lot better. I am taking next Monday off and I

 since my last post. I was struggling to get into the swing of teaching this year and I'm still struggling. The last post was 6 days into the year, now it's 6 weeks into the year. I've been struggling the entire 6 weeks. I have not been able to find my groove. I struggle with every single lesson. I have to plan and plan and plan. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing and I'm over it. Completely and totally over it. And things need to change.  I've already changed up my biology class. We switched from the iHub curriculum to the It's Not Rocket Science curriculum. These could not be two more opposite types of curriculum, but whatever. I need to be able to get excited about what we are doing. And if my getting excited means using a more standard type of curriculum, so be it. I will be switching my chemistry over to the modeling curriculum once I figure out how to wrap up this 'unit'.  The thing is, I can incorporate many parts of the BTC and model