Never enough time…
Hello, fellow educators and science enthusiasts!
It's been a whirlwind of a school year so far, and I wanted to finally take a moment to share some thoughts and experiences with you. When I launched this website very incomplete at the end of last summer, I set a goal for myself this year to dedicate at least 2 hours every weekend to working on it. Well, its now six weeks into the school year… and this is the first time I’m opening up my SquareSpace.
New Beginnings
This year, I embarked on a new journey at a new school. While it's incredibly exciting, it's also quite the challenge. Starting fresh, getting to know a whole new set of colleagues, and figuring out the routines at a new school has been challenging. (I mean, both of my previous schools had conductivity meters- I just assumed all schools had them- well my lesson plan for today has to change… and where the heck did my wire cutters end up in the move…) In addition, my classes which started at a very reasonable about 30 students each quickly ballooned to about 40. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but it’s also been extremely rewarding. The district admin, staff, and parents of my students have been amazing, and I feel appreciated and accepted, which is nice. I’m also getting a lot of freedom in my curriculum, which has been fun to explore.
The Moving Challenge
On top of navigating a new school year, I also recently moved. Anyone who's been through a move knows that it can be an all-consuming task. Packing, unpacking, settling into a new space—it all takes time and energy, leaving little room for other pursuits. I thought I had done enough of it before the school year started… I had not. I don’t have time to go to the DMV for my registration and license just because I forgot to get my car smogged the first time.
Prioritizing Passion
So, here I am, six weeks into the school year, and this is the first time I've had the opportunity to sit down and dedicate some quality time to my beloved K Cool! Science website. It hasn't been easy, but I've come to realize that sometimes life throws curveballs, and it's okay to adjust our goals and priorities accordingly. Maybe I won’t get the website to complete this year- but I will dedicate time to it over breaks and when I have the capacity- like today. And I am still doing my filming of my lesson for the Youtube channel- that’s all part of this. This is my side project. And I love it. But it is okay that I haven’t been able to commit the time to it I planned to- it will still be here next summer for me. Not that I plan on waiting quite that long….
Conclusion
So, as we journey through this school year together, I hope you'll understand that sometimes life gets in the way of even the best-laid plans. But it's all part of the adventure, and it's what makes us better educators. Stay tuned for more exciting developments on K Cool! Science, and thank you for your continued support.
Until next time, let's keep exploring the wonders of science with our students and finding joy in the journey, no matter where it leads us.
Oh also- anybody see the eclipse yesterday? I raffled off some eclipse glasses to my students- I hope they got used! It was cool!
K cool? K, cool!
Ms. Petersen