The Need for a Time-Turner

 I will keep this short. Usually I write my blog posts on the weekend, but a task that took 6 hours on Saturday and 7+3 hours on Sunday ate up my usual reflection time, so it's Monday evening as I'm quickly reflecting and writing so I can maintain my Monday posting streak. (I can't tell you what the massive project is yet but I hope to be able to share it as some point. The end results will be worth all the hours of hard work, if my biased opinion counts for anything.)

My main thought for today is that I need a time-turner. A time-turner is a device that Hermione Granger uses in the third Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) so she can attend more classes. The time-turner is useful for other reasons that are part of the main plot. 

I wouldn't use a time-turner excessively. Sometimes I just need an extra hour or two, or the students could use an extra hour or two. For instance, the Grade 1-2s have been making accessible playgrounds as part of their media class. We have been working on this project for about three weeks and we had to finalize the work so we could launch our new inquiries. Some did not get as far as they (or I) would have liked, but every group was able to produce something to put in the display case in the front hall. Here are some photos of them working. 

Then there's the collaborative teaching. I am so grateful that classroom teachers are willing to co-plan and co-teach with me, but it's been a challenge to try and find the time to sit down and discuss what we hope to accomplish and how we'll do it. Thanks MN, JD, LC, JC and TL for your patience as I double-book lunch meetings and rush explanations as we pass each other in the halls or through texts.

Marking often takes me a long time - this is true both for the AQ courses I'm facilitating that are wrapping up this week and next, as well as for the social studies, health and media classes I teach in my "regular" job. I hope to get caught up, especially now that this major secret project of mine is (almost) completely wrapped up. If anyone has a spare time-turner lying around their house that they aren't using, let me know!