The grass is pretty green here...

It is safe to say, after 7 student days, and 12 total days as a science coach, I think I am enjoying it. 

Obviously, I miss having my own set of students to get to know. I don't think I will ever get over that no matter how long I am out of the classroom.

But - I am really enjoying the coaching part of my job. I love that I have the time to come up with and implement initiatives around the school. I am in the process of planning and 8th grade science field trip (there hasn't been one but 6th and 7th both go within the district), looking into hosting a STEM competition, writing updates to our school science fair guidelines, and, of course, finding and mastering different resources so I can help our teachers utilize them in their classrooms. I am also leading a staff book club next week, attending a training on how STEM and Race to the Top are related, modeling different types of lessons with various teachers (close readings, stations), and organizing the supplies that the department has accrued and lost track of throughout the years. 

Did I mention it has only been 12 days since the year started? That is including today, where I am supervising make up tests for the baseline test for both 7th and 8th grade and not really leaving my office :( 

But I spent most of yesterday in classrooms which I always enjoy! 

Today's tasks include typing up and sending lesson plan feedback, updating the Unit 1 tests to reflect the desires of the department from last week's meeting (I was at the district office at a training and couldn't be there),  creating the remaining learning goals for Unit 1 and some sample learning goals for Unit 2, prepping the close reading lesson and stations lesson I am modeling, and doing research on this whole STEM competition thing into costs, rules, and anything else I don't know about it (which is a lot... I really have no STEM competition clue...)... plus anything else I think of to do, like update this blog :)

As far as maternity leave - I still have a lot of goals I want to accomplish by September 16 (1 month before my due date) but I haven't entirely outlined what a lot of them formally are. I would like to have my department creating good complete lesson plans and outlined the units they will be going over while I am out, inventory done, field trip prepped, and probably other things... I really should formalize this list soon - that is only 3 weeks away! Just consider that another thing added to today's to do list :)