Daily Journal - Thoughts on Testing--Nope, Thoughts on Goals

 Hello Blog,

I'm right in the middle of things, but I need to journal or I'll forget.

Ok, that was fully interrupted.  I got a call after 20 seconds of writing that I needed to leave school right then.  So...it's now 3:40 in the morning.  I'm really bad right now about having Canvas updated.  I have a few more things to grade on Canvas, and a couple students who turned things in on Canvas will be mad at me if they look at Focus.  I just needed to put in some numbers so it wasn't blank!  I promise, I'll go on Canvas tomorrow after school, first thing!

I need to also make a plan for my Goal Sheet.  If my first semester goal is to compile all the notes from my journals about my Book Characters, so I can start making a story board, then I need to get a good place to compile all those notes.  I might need to print them and put them in a binder, so I can hole punch them and re-order them.  That will be a little bear.  I'll need to catch up with Canvas first.  And taxes.  And grading.  Oh boy, it never ends!  LOL at least I have creative writing assignments to read now.  English 1 assignments are 90% students who are writing just what they have to, either aiming for a C or for an A.  It's rare to get someone giving me "extra".  Well, Creative Writing is the other way around.  I have a few students who need the extra support, or who are lazy.  The rest: I'm getting some good stuff!  I need to keep an eye on those students who need the extra support.  I sometimes--often--take my creativity for granted.  Not everyone can think as quickly as I, and most students don't have the vocabulary.  I'll work on it.  :)

Ok, it's 3:45 am.  I could push through, but I should go to bed.  Plus, I don't want these journal entries to be too long, or the students will accuse me of cheating them longer than 10 minutes just to make them feel bad!  Goodnight blogger, and Pandora music!

Daily Journal - Back into it

 Hello Blog,

You have kept safe many journal entries over the years.  I suppose this is the best place for me to sit down and journal now.  I'm telling my Creative Writing students that we need to have a daily habit of writing, that it is the one thing that almost all writers agree leads to success.  Well, I don't have it, and I should be modeling for my students.  So I'm going to write about 10 minutes per day, and stop myself, so I can show them how much it is to write for 10 minutes.

I'm currently listening to "Miracles" by Two Steps from Hell, an amazing instrumental group that makes a lot of movie scores.  I've been binging them a lot more than my other people like Two Cellos, Break of Reality, or Vienna Teng.

I don't really know what to write about.  I'm so out of the habit!  I saw my last post was in response to the Men's Retreat a year ago.  The next one is coming up, but I'm wait-listed.  Tessa and I both thought the other person had signed me up.  [sighs]  If I can get a couple more people interested, we found a place that's very price affordable, but if not, I'll just miss out.  It's a beautiful retreat at Lake Lure, NC.  The housing is whatever; the kayaking is the big draw!  And of course, fellowship with other guys from church that I don't hang out with regularly at all.  I had three people ask if I was coming!  And I still failed [shakes his head].  But I got some amazing writing and praying done last year.  I really hope I can go.

I only have 3 more minutes to finish 10 minutes of writing.  I can do it!  But my neck is killing me.  I'm not sure why, but my neck has been hurting on the right side in a weird way.  I need to examine my bed and stuff and see what's going on.  I'm taking care of my sinuses, finally (and with surgery in the not-too-distant future), but I really really don't want my back pain to return.

I made it to 9 1/2 minutes.  I'll put a title on this and call it a day :)