Flex Time

I asked the sixth graders to post a single word that best described how they were feeling today, and the most popular word by far was "tired." 

I sympathize with them. As I wrote a few days ago, last week was the first full, five day, in person week since March of 2020, and I'm feeling it, too.

When I shared my observation with the students, one kid was all over it. "I know!" she said, "But I didn't even have a full week last week!"

"Because you broke your arm," I nodded.

"Right!" she said rapidly, like she says everything. 

"Then this is your first full week?" asked the student beside her.

"Nope," she fired back. "Early release yesterday. I won't have a regular week until next week."

It was actually the next item on our agenda to talk about schedule changes for next week. Because of state-mandated testing, we are about to implement the seventh and eighth versions of schedules for the sixth graders. In addition to Block A, Block B, Anchor, A, Anchor B, Early Release Anchor A, next Monday and Tuesday we're having Testing Day Anchor A and Testing Day Anchor B. (Which should be easily recast as Delayed Opening Anchor A and Delayed Opening Anchor B-- but who knows?) 

"What time is lunch?" the fast talking kid asked when I told them about the testing.

"12:45," I replied.

"What! That's so late! Yesterday we ate at 10 AM and next week we have to wait until 12:45? Why??" she dramatically dropped her head to the table in mock despair.

But again, she had a good point. The Early Release schedule does call for the sixth graders to go to lunch after a compressed timetable of five 21-minute classes. But to be honest? I kind of love it. My teaching day is over when they go, leaving plenty of time for planning and grading.

In fact, when my CLT met for professional development yesterday afternoon, I was in exceptional humor. "It's the schedule!" I explained. "If I could teach these hours every day? I'd be good to go for another 10 years!"