I wanted to let my regular readers know that things may be a bit quieter around here over the next few months.
This week, I started working full-time and that job will take me through Christmas. I will be working at our school and as you can expect, there are a whole lot more balls in the air than a typical long-term substitute teaching job. First, there is COVID and all the issues surrounding attending school during a pandemic. Plus, the Derecho that blew through here on August 10, damaged every single building in our school district and two of them quite badly. So, the school start date was put on hold. Teachers are back in the building and students will start on September 8.
There are so many more things to plan for related to the possibilities of virtual learning, hybrid learning, students choosing to learn from home, the trauma from a pandemic, the trauma from living through the Derecho, the gaps in learning….I could go on and on.
I’ll be teaching English which means I have a LOT more reading to do to prepare for my classes on top of all the grading. So, I will do my best to keep bringing you book reviews and my regular bookish posts, but I also realize I can’t do it all. I’ve been reading a lot of YA books lately (see the photo above) and that is a bit out of my usual reading zone. Gosh, some YA books are so depressing! But, I’m anxious to have some great discussions with the students about these books.
I know I will need to be reading for my own sanity, but frankly, it may be easier to write children’s book reviews more than adult fiction and non-fiction reviews. If I’m quiet, expect that it is because I’m in the middle of grading a big assignment or I’m teaching virtually or I fell asleep as soon as I walked in the door or all of the above.
I’ll probably be the most active on Instagram, so make sure you are following me HERE. If you’d like, say a prayer for my fellow staff members at our school. The load is heavy on every one of us and we all just want to be the best and do the best for the students.
I’ll be spending the weekend finishing up some of the reading that I have left to prepare for teaching this fall. Today is Independent Bookstore Day, rescheduled from April 25. If you are out and about this weekend, stop by your favorite local bookstore and make a purchase for yourself or as a gift for someone (Christmas is only four months away).
Thanks for stopping by and understanding that sometimes, the blog has to take a back seat.