I had to take my bearded dragon out of my classroom today.  It breaks my heart.  Spike is such a great dragon.  I have moved him to the classroom next door where he might be safer.  I will get a lock for his cage.

I went to Challenge Day this week.  What an emotionally draining yet great experience.  There were tears and laughter and fun and seriousness.  I plan to keep the ideas going in my classroom by taking one homeroom period a week and having "Challenge Day" time.  While I was gone, my students must have decided it was OK to behave in a terrible way with a sub.  They were loud, unruly, and messing with Spike.  Now I don't think it was every class, and it probably was only a handful of students, but the fact that it happened at all really bothers me.  The sub is partially responsible as well since he should have had the classes under control, but MY students should have known how to behave.  I have lost trust in them, and that just kills me.

So, Spike is no longer in my room because I can't take the chance that he could get badly hurt.  He was dropped and someone ruined one of his heaters.  All that in just one day while I was attending a program at school, with kids. 

Sometimes Monday just comes too soon.  It seems there is never enough time to do everything I want.  The quarter is coming to a close...so hard to believe that the school year is already almost one quarter done.  

I'm always hopeful that my students will be as excited about learning new things as I am, but it doesn't happen as frequently as I would like.  It won't stop me from praying for it and working for it.

I'm super excited about our Battle of the Brains team.  I think we have a great group that wants to do well.  What more can  teacher ask?  And the real dream is...wouldn't it be wonderful to win $50,000 for our school?

I have finally settled on some decisions and have started building the site.  So far I like it a lot.  I have a long way to go, but I have already posted the address and canceled my subscription to my previous website, so I am committed.  

Weekends are never quite long enough...still have grading to finish, grades to post, and things to get packed and ready for the week.  I am inspired by a pep talk from The Kid President.  Here is the link so you can check it out, too.  A Pep Talk for Teachers and Students.

So, today I am trying to build a new website.  Since I've never blogged before, this part of the website will be a bit new for me.  What does one say on a blog?  I read many and they are so eloquent, informative or just plain fun.  I hope mine fits somewhere in the midst of all of them.

I'm really struggling with putting the website together.  I keep changing my mind and wondering if it looks right or sounds right.  I can totally understand why, even though the technology is available to do it for yourself, someone would pay to have a website built and maintained.  Oh the agony of decision making....

More later...