Whew!

As always, the start of a new school year is a bit crazy. New students, setting expectations, creating structures, etc. I knew that transitioning to middle school, while also beginning a new position as technology integrationist, would mean new challenges and lots of new learning this year. However, I didn´t expect the learning curve to be quite so steep! 

I have to say, the past month has been a whirlwind! I´ve gone from feeling excited to overwhelmed to stressed to excited within hours practically every day this week. I´ve been wanting a new challenge for awhile now and I have to say I definitely got what I wished for in this new position! 

Learning how to teach new content in a different setting with different expectations has really challenged me as a teacher so far this year. In addition, taking on so much new technology and new initiatives as a school always means that unexpected issues pop up. We´re basically creating a technology integration program as we go, which is really exciting, but very challenging as well. In many ways, I feel like I actually have two full time jobs instead of two half-time ones! Whew! Although overwhelming and stress-inducing at times, I have been reminded of how much I love learning and figuring out how to tackle systemic issues in a school. And I know that it´s going to feel like a huge accomplishment when everything starts to smooth out. :)

So again, I find myself searching for balance in my life. How quickly exercise and Spanish become lower priorities when spending so much time on work! I hope to become more consistent with both in the upcoming weeks. With trips to Stockholm and Budapest around the corner, blue skies and warm weather, and many fun fall events planned, I suppose being stressed in Barcelona isn´t really that bad . . . :)