Fall Break

We have made it (almost - 1/2 day tomorrow) to Fall Break. I am so ready for a long break. I've got a cold, and I feel crummy. I wish I could just call in sick. But I won't. I'm saving my sick days for days when I'm really sick.
Things are going fairly smoothly. I have taken to teaching a lot of lessons. I know, "what a concept!" Right? Well, I've been teaching science on line in the morning and language lessons in groups throughout the morning. I've also been trying to get lessons in the afternoon, although that's trickier b/c we have so little time to work in the afternoon - sometimes less than an hour, even. Students are expected to record their lessons as they are given, although I'm pretty easygoing on the amount of recording - usually a dozen words or so. Nothing outlandish.
I've been at this now for a few weeks, and the students are pretty much adapting. At first it was, "Another lesson!? I've already HAD two lessons today!" - along with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. They're mostly beyond that, although I still get, "Will we have to record this?" and "How much of this will we have to write down?" That's my least favorite question of all, by the way.
I'm worried, though, that I'm not going to get all of my October topics hit. We're halfway through the month already, and I only have three days next week as well. There's suffixes to cover and prefixes to introduce. There's guide words, commas, paraphrasing, subject/predicate/direct object, and descriptive essays. So much to do, so little time . . .
We had an interminable faculty meeting yesterday, and one of the things we talked about was reading assessments for the 3rd graders. Gah. I'm glad I have already assessed reading levels and have programs in place to improve reading levels through the year. Only two of my 3rd graders are reading 'on level.' I only have six to begin with, but 1/3 is pretty bad. Two of the other four are on IEPs, and one is only a bit behind level and should be able to catch up with a bit of effort. I'm happy to note that we don't have to base our results on just one, state-mandated test. We can use classroom assessments and observations - both of which are going to serve to improve our end-of-level scores from last year dramatically. My students tanked the CRTs; not because they don't know the stuff, but b/c they freaked on the test.

Gah. Yes, again.

Did I mention that I'm sick? I'm so going to bed . . .