Preparations

This last week has been all about paper work, phone calls, and emails. There's so much to do to get ready for the summer. TFA sent me a three page "to-do" list of things they need from me. (I am quite proud to announce that I'm almost finished with the list!) I do have to say that as an organization, they are quite organized with the mailings and updates that they send us and they are really good about responding to emails ASAP.

Now the main thing I have to worry about is preparing for the NYSTCE exams that I have to take. I'm taking the LAST on May 14th. I still haven't received the prep book that I ordered from amazon.com but I'm trying to work with the online resources. Apart from the LAST, I'm particularly concerned about the CST (multi-subject) that I have to take in June because if I don't pass it, I won't have an opportunity to re-take it, and therefore won't be able to teach in NY. Stress I tell you! Anyone taken the exams and want to give me some encouragement?

Today I got the ball rolling on setting up the classroom observations that are part of my "independent work" that I have to do before the summer institute. Since I'm not getting back to the States until May 15th, I have to cram nine observations (and the readings that go along with them) into one week. The second to the last school week of the year. It should be interesting trying to accomplish all this in the jet-lagged state that I'm going to be in when I get home.

Well, only two more weeks until Sardegna starts to fade into a distant memory . . .