Another year down

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 This past year was a hot mess from the word go. I started off with a curriculum that I ended up not liking and so I switched horses mid-stream. That was a pain in the butt but it actually worked out okay. For the first time ever I got through to stoichiometry in chemistry. And not just to it, but we actually worked it for a bit. So that was good. I also used BCA (before, change, after) tables in teaching stoichiometry and that was amazing. Most students caught on immediately and could see what was happening. It was awesome. So BCA tables are here to stay. 

Otherwise, seriously, this year was a hot mess. I felt like I was playing catch-up all year. It did not feel like a full school year. I kept feeling like we had just started. Then, before I knew it, the end was here. So thank god that is over. 

Next year I get to start a new class, marine science. I'm excited about that. It will be something new and different and hopefully it will get me fired up about teaching again. 

I've realized this year that I have only a few more years left and then I can retire. That's exciting. I never thought I would be able to retire because I never planned for retirement. When I was younger I figured I had a long time to save for retirement, it was a long ways off. Then as I got older I realized that it wasn't that far off and I felt it was too late to do anything about it. The only reason I'll be able to do it is because of the Arizona retirement system that I had no choice but to join when I started here. That will provide me a fairly decent amount of money and then social security will provide me a decent amount. So I'll be all good. Not wealthy, but okay. Then I'm working on this side business and hopefully that will end up paying off. I hope to make a little money with it and to just keep busy with it. I don't want to go into retirement and then sit around and do nothing. I will need to keep busy. Hopefully this side business will make enough to pay the gym and help us travel a little bit. Anyway, that is still a few years down the line. I  need to get my student loans forgiven and that looks to be 4ish years. Plus, if I retire when I'm 70 that will give me a lot more money. Anyway, that's out there in the not too distant future. 

But know that retirement is out there, I'm not inclined to do much in terms of learning for school. I have the opportunity to take a class for free and I just don't want to. Why should I spend my time on something that I know will be ending soon? I just don't get it. I teach well enough to get me through the next few years. Do I really need to expend a lot of energy to improve it? Maybe that's not a good attitude, but I can't help thinking that way. I'm at the end. Why kill myself over it? 

Anyway. I'm spending this summer getting everything set up so that I can cruise through the next few years. I'm making binders for all my units so I have master copies of everything. I know the chemistry curriculum well enough now that I have a great idea of what I'm doing on a daily basis. The marine science will be new and different but I'll get that set up. I want to be able to go through this coming year in a non-stressful way. Not like last year. 

Okay, that's it in a nutshell. Time to stop looking at last year and look forward to a new year. 

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