So much to do and so little time...

The work never ends for a teacher. I think about lessons in the shower. I think about ways to improve my students behavior on the way to work. I think about how in the world I am going to ever find time to organize my desk as I pull into the parking lot. As I walk into my classroom, I think about when I am supposed to plan and organize small group instruction. While I teach my morning reading group, I think about how I never seem to have enough time for partner reading. As I welcome my afternoon Kinders, I think about finding the time to finish the mountain of paperwork that is BTSA. As I gulp down my lunch in 15 minutes, I think about the writing lesson I am going to teach and wonder when I can find the time for my students to share their work. As we finish writing, I think about how we didn't have time yet again to share their writing. As I teach my afternoon reading group, I think about Friday and how the entire time will be spent assessing instead of teaching. As I teach math, I think there has got be a more exciting way to teach the concept of more and less than using the workbook. As we do centers, I think, are my activities meaningful enough? And if they aren't, how can I fix that? As I dismiss my students, I think, finally I can sit down and plan! Until I realize I have a staff meeting to go to!! As I sit in the staff meeting and listen to the differences between sentence starters and sentence frames, I think about how I never have enough time to effectively plan for these instructional strategies. As I read the handout on the importance of vocabulary development for English language learners, I think "Wow, this is really important! I can't wait to effectively plan for this and implement it in my teaching!" As I walk out of the meeting and into my classroom and back to reality, I am faced with my highly unorganized desk, the BTSA folder, and all the other things I am already trying to plan for and I think, "Boy am I tired!"