I sometimes think, "What am I doing here?" while I am spending my weekend either: a) grading papers; b) planning lessons or c) creating assessment materials.

Now that VIF has me totally confused about the summer travel options with their mix-up (choice of a taxable $750 renewal "bonus" or a tax-free round-trip airfare, details not specified), I don't know what to do for next year. Alberta still seems to be lacking in terms of hiring new teachers.

But the new semester has finally arrived. Eighty new students, of which three are exceptional children. Only one troublesome class this term and I'm getting on top of them. I am also making daily use of my new LCD projector by creating PowerPoint presentations (despite how much I despise the software).

First semester is officially over. Although we had a shortened week, it felt longer than a regular week. Administer tests, supervise "lunch", grade tests, enter marks into computer. Repeat as necessary.

Yesterday was a teacher workday. I had all of my grades in by 11 o'clock. I went out for lunch with two teachers at Mi Casita in Fayetteville. There were other teachers from Rockfish-Hoke Elementary there. One of them was the third VIF local advisor for Hoke County that the other two do not know well. She is from Calgary, so she's a fellow Albertan. It's her second round with VIF; she likes the weather (of course). I spent the afternoon figuring out how to cram 30 students into 26 desks, and creating a seating plan for each of my classes.

I went to School Tools in the evening to buy more stuff, and went to visit my Hungarian colleague G. to talk and talk. A great day, for the most part.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, so the schools are closed today in Hoke County (as in much of North Carolina). I am taking the opportunity to finish grading projects that were handed in before the Christmas break, because the final grades are due by Friday!

I really want to get next term off on a good start, so (hopefully) I'll be writing some lessons in advance, and reading up on some classroom management stuff this week. How I long for the next long weekend...

Last night I bought a portable shortwave/AM/FM world band radio from Food Lion (who would have thought?) in Fayetteville for $2.49. Cheaper than a gallon of milk. Hopefully it will be able to pick up my favourite radio station, CBC/Radio-Canada International, from Raeford. I tried it just now, and I'm not picking up anything too interesting, but I guess it's because I'm sitting near a whole bunch of high frequency wave-emitting devices (cordless phone, cellphone, wireless router).

We are in the prelude to the end of semester tests. I have finished my final examination, which is 100 multiple-choice questions. One more teaching day remains until testing begins.

I guess I will have to put my notebook computer order on hold. I was hoping that Apple would update their iBook models, but they revamped the PowerBook models instead (now known as MacBook Pro), and those are too rich for my blood.

I spent this past weekend at NCCAT (N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching) in Cullowhee with some three dozen ILTs from Hoke County. We were attending a series of seminars on poverty in schools. I learned a lot, and the food was exquisite. Better than anything I can prepare at home. The bus ride was 5.5 h each way, not including stopovers.