New School Year!

I can't not believe how crazily busy I am this year. School started at the end of August, with teachers going back officially the week before (I say officially because I was writing the district French Benchmark exams for two weeks before that!). I have not really had a chance to sit down and collect my thoughts because things are happening at such a whirlwind pace!! So we just finished our third (!!!) week of school. My students are pretty likable for the most part. I had to kind of win over my French III class, because they had the same teacher for their first two years, and are understandably attached to her. I don't mind them going to her tutorials, but I want them to understand that they can come to me as well. I always forget how motivated teachers and students are at the beginning of the year. students are handing in work, teachers are smiling, everyone's in a good mood....it's great. It precisely the opposite in February (also known as the bane of my existence month). I don't really get around much in the building since my portable is a good 5 minute walk away, which means I don't get ti mingle between classes with other teachers. I have however, noticed a difference this year in the staff and student body. Everyone seems to have a positive outlook. I know that I am contradicting myself, but even at the beginning of last year, there seemed to be a lot of conflict on the staff, negativity from the students, and a overall pessimistic mood in the building. I hope that this feeling stays, because it is much easier teaching a group of kids that want to be there. So in addition to my teaching duties, French Club, French National Honor Society, Staff Development, Campus Improvement Team, and AP French are all doing there best to wear me down. The upside is I have become much, much more organized for the first time in a loooong time. It feels pretty good. It's my fourth year, and I feel as though I have already grown into my niche and style, I hope that I just don't get stale! I should go back now and read my post from the beginning of last year. Wonder what my feeling was...