Blogging as a Cure (?)

I am responsible for teaching/remediating writing for my fourth grade student. The only problem is... she hates writing; she can't spell; and she doesn't see the point in writing. It's like pulling teeth with her, so I've been somewhat avoiding it for the past few months.

Until this week!! It struck me that starting her very own blog could motivate her to write. Do other elementary teachers have their students blog? This fifth grade teacher does.

Would I be allowed to do this at school? According to our computer teacher, blogging is part of a Michigan technology strand!

I like the idea of linking kids' news sites and fun fact sites on the sidebar for her to read/peruse and respond to. I like that most blog sites have spell check. I like the idea that I could make her blog private. I also like the idea that her teachers could read her posts and give her encouraging comments!

The "unknown" factor is whether this experiment will work. Will this motivate her to write? Tune in next week for more exciting developments!

Blink Addiction

It all started at our half day in-service on Friday. The staff was supposed to align the objectives in our new math curriculum (coming this fall) to our state standards. Well, as you can imagine, all of us Special Ed teachers were feeling a bit left out, seeing as how it didn't pertain to us. "Oh, but it does!", we were assured. "You should be familiar with each grade level's standards and math objectives". Yes, that is a valid point. But which grade level should we choose to work with?

So Special Ed. got our own breakout session. Our team discussed housekeeping details for about twenty minutes, then got down to business: Cards. Not just any cards... Blink. Our speech therapist was explaining why this game in particular encouraged both sides of the brain to work together. It's also an excellent way to build working memory! We played for over an hour.... so simple, yet so addicting. While we were playing, we also discussed hosting a game night for parents with simple and fun games that have educational value. Goodness knows, I know the motivating value of games in my classroom!!

On Friday night I swung by Target to pick up a deck of "Blink" for myself (oh, and my students too). I've taught all of my students to play and they are having a blast with it! Some are still getting the hang of it, but my fourth-grader (who is as fiercely competitive as I am) is nuts about it! That girl was on her feet and shouting out: "SHAPE! COLOR! NUMBER! COLOR!" for the better part of 20 minutes. I wonder what people must have thought as they walked by?

I'm pretty nuts about it too. For two straight days, I've used my planning period to compete against the other resource room teacher, who is a worthy opponent! Work? What work?!

Birthday Highlights

First, I opened some presents from mom and dad. Gizmo liked the bag, but couldn't figure out why she needed to pose with it:


Mrs. Hufflepuff definitely liked the bag. She instantly claimed it as her own:


On Saturday, Max and I ate delicious food at Ichiban. Our Japanese waitress could not believe that we didn't want the forks she was offering us. "No forks??? Are you sure!?!" My grandma would be proud!



We also went to the dollar theater and split a jamocha shake, but I have no pictures for proof! All in all, a great birthday!! Thanks, everyone!!!!!

Ode to 25

Twenty-Five, you had a greasy and delicous start at The Pizza Bakery, followed by a liberal helping of change. You were there for our bittersweet move from California to Michigan. You witnessed the adoption of three adorable cats. You brought an unexpected, extended visit from my parents. You saw the dark days of unemployment. You presented me with a new brother-in-law. You allowed me to say, on countless occasions: "It's okay, because I'm only twenty-five, and I have lots of time left to do other things"... things like get a better job, live in a real house, drive a car that works...

I had high hopes for you, Twenty-Five, and you did not let me down. I realize that sometimes you get overlooked, and other years get all the glamour... like sixteen, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty (...wait...I know there are others, but I can't count that high...) oh and sixty-five. But you, Twenty-Five, have been a milestone for me in that I am one step closer to SETTLING DOWN (which is this missionary kid's ultimate goal!), without giving up the right to claim my youth for having cheap furniture and a broken car.

You will be missed in the years to come!

Love,

Twenty-Six

My Anger Changes Nothing

I'm trying to write my career goals and my reasons for pursuing a specific master's degree so that I can apply for my Masters of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction. But I can't focus. I won't be able to focus all day, I just know it. My mind is 2,200 miles away, in a different school, with different colleagues, and with different kids. I wish I could be very specific, but I can't. All I can say is some very EVIL and GREEDY and SHORTSIGHTED people are closing down the deaf/hard-of-hearing program where I used to teach, forcing dozens of kids to relocate to districts and schools who won't be able to provide the comprehensive array of services that we did. "Why would anyone do such a thing?", you may wonder.

As it turns out, the bottom line is money. What an awful truth: what drives education is money, not the best interests of our students.

On the Run

On Friday, I dismissed my little kindergartener back to his classroom once his time with me was over. I reminded him "Make sure you walk!". Then, like the responsible teacher that I am, I waited two seconds, then left my office to make sure he wasn't running.

He was.

My question is twofold:

1. Why do kids run everywhere?
2. When do kids/adults stop running everywhere?

I vaguely remember running places; usually, it was up or down stairs. I recall one instance, when I was about eight or nine, that my dad said "Stop running up the stairs". And I said "But I'm not running up the stairs". Then my dad showed me what it looked like to walk up the stairs, then made me do it. I remember thinking "Whoa, weird... I don't think I'm ever going to reach the top of the stairs at this rate!".

I distinctly remember a time in first grade when I stopped running pointlessly on the playground. I was watching some other kids running around in circles, and I thought "That looks like fun... They're going so fast and the wind is in their hair! I wanna do that too!". And I did... for about a minute or two. Then I realized "This isn't fun. This is hard work. I'm tired". Then I went and played on the swings.

And, now that I think about it, playing on the swings is a much more effective way to have fun and feel the wind in your hair without tiring yourself out. So while I may not be athletic, I am efficient!

BUT, It's The Law!

You'll remember that, in my last post, I talked about a prospective Kindergartener to our school this next year. He is on the Autism spectrum and definitely has some special abilities. His worst behavior is that sometimes he refuses to do things and he needs to be redirected.

Even though the parents have decided that our school is their number one choice, our principal is very concerned that our school isn't the right placement for him. This is 99% a personal issue, and 1% an administrative concern. He would need a full time aide, and a differentiated/personal curriculum. The other resource room teacher and I have told our principal a number of times that we would take care of the academic piece (a simple matter, really), and the district will be paying for a one-on-one aide.

So what's the problem? We're really not sure why our principal continues to fish for reasons why this student shouldn't come here. It's "but" this and "but" that at every turn. This has been going on for weeks, and I'm exasperated.

Truthfully, if the parents decide to take him somewhere else, that's okay with me. But right now, the parents want him at our school and we CAN provide the services he needs. I'm fighting for him for that reason. I will admit, however, that at this point, I also want him here simply because our principal doesn't.

Does that mean I have Oppositional Defiant Disorder?

April is Autism Awareness Month

This week, I went off-site and observed a five year old who can read (and comprehend) at the fourth grade level, and who can do complicated algebra. He might be on my caseload next year! I could teach him about appropriate social interactions and how to communicate functionally, and he could teach me how to balance my checkbook!

We All SCREAM for Ice Cream

After school, I went out with some friends from work to a local ice cream parlor where you could get two scoops of ice cream and a topping in a waffle cone for only $2.39. (It tasted like heaven!)

We were all sitting at a table outside, chatting away, when we were interrupted by a mom and her screaming kid who I thought looked about five. They were leaving the ice cream parlor, but the little boy was screaming and crying and throwing a full-on tantrum on the ground while his mother held his ice cream cone. He was shouting "I WANT IT IN A CUP!! A CUP! I WANT A CUP!!! WAAAAHHH!!!!" He was so intense that one of my friends had to move his chair so the kid didn't knock his head. The poor mother was clearly embarrassed. I knew this because, at one point, she told her son "You are embarrassing." For about three minutes, the boy screamed and the mom said "Get up, let's go!", until the mom eventually passed the cone to dad, picked up the screaming and kicking child, and put him in the car.

When they had left, all five of us started laughing and cheering at the same time. We were laughing because some of us teachers deal with "behaviors" all day in the classroom and it's nice (and funny!) when it's not our problem to deal with! We were cheering because, and this is crucial, the mom did not reinforce his tantrum by going back into the store for a cup. It seems like a lot of parents these days would have done exactly that.

We indulged in some "If it were me" conversation at this point, which was actually quite ridiculous because none of us around the table were parents (and I'm sure we might all change our minds when we're the burnt out moms and its OUR kid), and we came up with several scenarios.

1. Let the kid have a tantrum, but start taking off your belt...
2. Let the kid have a tantrum, and give him an empty cup
3. Let the kid have a tantrum, and throw his ice cream cone away
4. Let the kid have a tantrum while you calmly eat and finish his ice cream cone

You have one guess as to which scenario was my suggestion!

Or Maybe It's Magic

So I was at a small meeting on Friday with some third and fourth grade teachers. One of the teachers was talking about her current student teacher working in her classroom. She told us she was thankful she "got a good one this year" because the last two she had were just hopeless. It got me to thinking and I asked her (and the others around the table): "Do you think that good teaching is a talent you are born with (you either have a knack or you don't)? Or do you think that good teaching can be learned?" The consensus around the table was that you either had what it took or you didn't, that it couldn't really be learned.

I would tend to agree with this, but the jury is still out. Any thoughts?

Time Marches Onward

Dear Spring Break,

What happened?!? One minute, I was shouting "FREEDOM!" as I pulled away from the school's parking lot, and the next minute I am sobbing in despair as I set my alarm clock for 5:30.

You enticed me with promises of late night TV, sleeping in, not wearing a watch, and endless time to spend however I wished. And as soon as I got one brief, delicious taste, you were gone! WHAT KIND OF A TEASE ARE YOU?

Where did you go? We had some great times together, but now you have moved on to visit other teachers in different school districts. I am a jealous friend. Very, very jealous...

Spring Break, I miss you so, so, so much. I don't know how I can keep on living without you... all that's left are the memories now. Please send your sister, Summer Break, soon.
SOON!!!!

Love,
Sarah

Thrifty Education

Being raised frugally, and loving a bargain, I love to shop at thrift stores. There are two main chains of thrift stores: Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Goodwill stores are clearly superior in my expert opinion. This is because clothes are organized by general type and by size. So when I go to Goodwill, I don't have to wade through hundreds of shirts to find a size small. I just go to the size small section, you see. At Salvation Army, clothes are organized by general type and by color. This makes no sense to me. It results in wasted time and disappointment ("OHMYGOSH What a cute ... Oh... it's a large... shoot"). However, if you are specifically looking for, say, a green button down shirt, Salvation Army is the way to go.

Unfortunately, I do not have a choice in where to go. We only have one real thrift store in a 20 mile radius, and it happens to be a Salvation Army. (This is a sharp contrast to when we lived on the west side of the state with all of the Dutch People. There were more thrift stores there than I could count on two hands within a ten mile radius. Why, you ask? Well, I suppose I don't want to perpetuate stereotypes about cheap Dutch People, so I'll leave that question unanswered.)

So that is where I went today. In the middle of the day. Because I wasn't at work. Because it's Spring Break. I made a few observations while I was browsing that I thought I would share with you (because I would bore you if I just talked about sleeping, playing on the computer, and reading my book).

• Don't try to buy something that is missing a price tag. They are very strict about that rule and apparently don't change their mind even in the face of a temper tantrum, whining, pleading, or flattery.
• Head for the clothes on the racks in the middle of the walking aisles. Those are the items they've brought in fresh from the back. Since it hasn't been picked over yet, your chances of finding a treasure are much higher.
• Don't ever buy underwear at a thrift store. That is just a given, people.
• I am not an XSmall. Why do I keep taking XSmall shirts to try on? My self-image clearly hasn't caught up with reality.
• Keep your eye on the fitting room door at all times. I found out today you can't trust those locks. I wouldn't want you all to experience the same embarrassing situation I did today!
• Stay away from the brand "Sag Harbor" for women. The clothes might look decent, but you'll feel less-than-confident knowing you're wearing a brand that might as well be labeled "Fatty McFatso at the Beach"
• Finally, a thrift store is a good place to try bargaining/bartering, especially if the item is missing a button or has a small tear or some other imperfection. But you won't get an extra discount if you point out that the item is used.
  

So hopefully you are now fully prepared to go thrift store shopping. Happy bargain hunting, everyone!

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

On Friday, I asked my principal what she would be doing for her week off. She said she was going to paint the bedroom so that she "could feel like she got something accomplished". A second later, a colleague walked by and in passing asked ME what I would be doing over break. I said "I'll be lucky if I get out of my pajamas!".

When I turned back towards the principal, she had a funny look on her face...

At first, I was afraid she would think that I was lazy with a capital L. But, now (sitting at the computer in my pajamas), it's no longer a pressing concern. After all, it's not my fault that some people are workaholics!

Can You Feel My Joy?!?

Never Trust a First Grader

For Christmas, my mentor (Ms. A) gave me a nice box of Ghiradelli's chocolate. Not realizing that we were exchanging gifts, and knowing it was the last day of school before break, I decided to give her a coupon in return. It was a coupon for Forty Free Minutes; I would do an activity with her first grade class for 40 minutes while she got some work done or drank coffee in the lounge, or whatever. It turned out to be the perfect present: she loved it, and it cost me nothing...

Yesterday, she finally cashed in on her gift. I read the book "If..." by Sarah Perry to her 20-some first graders. It was a lesson in visualizing, or mental imagery. Every page has a different "If" statement like: "If toes were teeth..." or "If frogs ate rainbows...". I would read a page, have them close their eyes and visualize it, then reveal the author's illustration. The kids were SO into it. When I finished reading the book, I explained that we were going to make our very own class book: each student would get a page and come up with their own "If" statement, then illustrate it.

Before I let the kids get back to their seats, I wanted them to understand that they wouldn't be writing in complete sentences. I told them they would end their statement with a-- I pointed to the text-- a "dot, dot, dot", I said.

It was at this point in my lesson that ALL 20-SOME first graders shouted "ellipsis!" "it's an ellipsis!"

"Ellips-ees?" I asked.

"EllipSIS" they said, obviously delighting in my complete ignorance.

There was no turning back at this point. So I played it up and told them I'd never met such a smart class of first graders before and "Oh boy, we'd better not let Ms. A know about this; how embarrassing!"

The giggles died down, the kids completed their assignments, and I went back to my office.

An hour later, Ms. A pokes her head in my office: "So I heard you learned a new word today, huh?" We had a good laugh about it, then she told me that her kids took great joy in reporting that I actually called it a "dot dot dot"!

Traitors...

Until Spring Break!!!

• Three more crack-of-dawn mornings
• Three hundred more miles
• Three more sack lunches
  
• Thirty more dollars of gas
• Two more meetings
• Twenty-one more kids
• Countless more prayers to make it through...
  

Word to the Wise

Teachers everywhere, some tips for you:

Here are some Do's and Don'ts of meeting with parents (whether it's a P-T conference or an IEP or whatever):

Do:

• Start with the positive
• Listen reflectively
• Make them feel valued and empowered
• Share ways they can help at home
• Speak tactfully
• Back up what you say with documented evidence
  

Don't:

• Be late
• Go on the offensive
• Take ANYTHING personally (except maybe a compliment)
• Be blunt
• Raise your voice for any reason
• Antagonize

NEVER:
Start out by telling the mother: "Mama Bear, you're not going to like what I have to say". (Yes, this really happened!)

Busted

Last week, one of "my" first graders got in trouble in gym class for disruptive behavior. A note was sent home for mom/dad to sign. When he handed it back to the coach yesterday, coach pulled him aside and told him how proud he was of him, and told him how responsible he was to bring it back. My little student just nodded proudly. When coach looked down at the paper, a perfectly printed MOM was written on the signature line!

Busted.

Perhaps a taste of things to come? Let's hope not!

Sick Days

Ever since I can remember, it's been very difficult for me to take sick days. I remember several times in high school, my dad would urge me to stay home and rest; usually I was too determined to give in. Sometimes it was that I thought I was going to miss out on something really fun at school if I stayed home. Sometimes I was sure that I would fail my next test if I didn't show up for class (can't really trust other note-takers, you know?). In college, taking a day off was unthinkable: most classes only met 1-3 times a week!

And now that I'm teaching, not much has changed. When I lived in California, I didn't like to stay home when I was sick because I had to make sub plans. And that was so much trouble. But then again, I didn't get all that sick in California. I'm sure it has something to do with all that sunshine and fresh air year round.

At my school here in Michigan, the policy is "crawl in, don't call in". In fact, we are officially given 0 sick days (they still pay us when we have to stay home due to sickness, but they don't give us a specified number of days so that we don't abuse it). So I have a lot of guilt when I stay home sick. And at my current job, I don't even need to make sub plans for when I'm gone because I'm not a classroom teacher!

But still I feel compelled to be at school when I am sick. The last time I was sick, I got up anyway and tried to get to work, only to turn around 10 miles into my commute when I realized I wasn't going to make it. And just this past Wednesday, I went in to work when I clearly shouldn't have. It was my colleagues in the special ed. department who urged me to go home. That was hard, because I felt that everyone else was judging me a wuss. On Wednesday, it was purely an upper respiratory issue that was making me feel miserable. But I threw up on Thursday. I kind of wanted to send out a mass e-mail to everyone to show that I was justified in staying home (but then decided against it). I've got to stop caring what other people think and just take care of myself, so that is why I'm taking today off too, to recuperate!!

Phew!

This week has been a whirlwind of hectic busy-ness. I'm SO glad it's over. I had four METs (3 year reviews), four IEP's, four evaluations of our aides to give, and I took on two brand new kids onto my daily caseload. My office looks like it's been hit by a hurricane... I try not to notice! Because if I don't look, it's not there, right?
I have no energy to say anything else..............

Officially a Teenager

Today marks the day of my First Ever Real Life Accident.

We got about five inches of snow last night. Out where I work (about an hour's drive each way), they only got about two. School was not cancelled for us. Schools along the highway I drive were cancelled. That should have been my cue to crawl back into bed. But no. It was really important that I be at work today, so I shoveled the snow off my car and took off. I allowed myself extra time, and didn't rush it.

Things were going along smoothly. I was going 50 mph for the first hour of my commute (others whizzing past me on my left). Then I saw a car had slid into the median, so I slowed down to about 40 mph. The next thing I know, I'm spinning. Spinning and screaming. It was pure panic for what felt like the longest time. I remember I was able to pump my brakes a couple times before impact, but the ice just laughed at my feeble attempt to ward off the collision. When the car was done spinning, I had hit the guard rail by the shoulder of the freeway. No whiplash for me, but a sickening "crunch" coming from the rear left of the car.

I did what any rational person would do: I cried. I got out of the car, checked out the damage, got back into the car, and cried some more. If it wasn't for a girl who pulled over to see if I was okay, I probably would be still be crying in that spot. She helped me dig my back tires out of the snow. Together, we waited for a break in the traffic. Then, I hit the gas, and she pushed my car from behind. God bless her!


I'm thankful that the accident wasn't worse. I'm grateful that I wasn't hurt in any way. I'm bummed that my remote start and my cruise control have stopped working. But at least I still have a car!! I'll fit in perfectly with so many other Michigan-ghetto-cars ;).

When It Rains, It Pours...

Today brought a delightful change of pace. I was actually BUSY all day! Yes, busy! I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.

Somewhere in between stacks of paperwork that couldn't be put off any longer, umpteen phone calls that needed follow-up, colleagues crying in my office, and spontaneous meetings, I did manage to see some kids. I'm taking on two more students onto my caseload this week, and I think that has something to do with it...

And, to top it all off, today was "Dress as your Favorite Book Character" day to kick off reading month. That would have been fun, if I had remembered about it sooner than right before I fell asleep last night. Max tried to be helpful with suggestions such as "Nancy Drew", "Cam Jansen", "Wilbur from Charlotte's Web" (ha-HA), but I finally decided that if anyone asked, I would stand up on my tippy-toes and say that I was "Sarah, Plain and Tall". I got by :)

All Play, No Work

My conference in Chicago was surprisingly disappointing. I was hopeful about the sessions we (my colleague and I) had signed up for. But if the sessions weren't agonizingly basic, they were completely unnecessary. Did my school really need to pay 800 dollars for us to learn that the letter "B" has its sound in its name whereas "H" does not? Was it relevant when a two hour workshop on teaching students with Asperger's Syndrome spent the whole time talking about the history of the syndrome and how to diagnose it? That's not practical!!!

There was only one session that redeemed our conference. We high-tailed it out of there several hours/sessions early. (We were also trying to beat the freezing rain in the forecast on our drive home).

Despite all of that, my friend and I had a BLAST. We stayed at the Hilton and our room had TWO complete bathrooms! We breakfasted at the Cafe Baci, lunched at Eleven, and dined at Gino's East. We took taxis around the city (which are so much safer than the ones in downtown Cairo!!), and shopped with the best of them. I bought a quarter of a pound of handmade soap at Lush. Apparently Max thought this was unnecessary, but he forgets that hygiene is important to some of us!

Lucky Me

The school is sending me and the other resource room teacher to Chicago for a conference hosted by the Learning Disabilities Association of America. It's international. And in Chicago. And we're staying at the Hilton. On the "magnificent mile". On the school's dime!! We'll get to learn some (hopefully) useful strategies on helping our students succeed, and then we'll have some of the world's best shopping right at our doorstep for our free time during the evenings! Should be fun!

Carded

I got a whole box of business cards in my school mailbox the other day. There are at least 500 of them, and they even came with a blue plastic carrying case. And they're in color!!

So I'm officially official.

I'm not really sure what to do with them now that I have them. Teachers typically aren't in the kind of profession where a business card would be needed. I mean, should I give them to my students? "Here you go. If you're happy with the services you received today, tell all your friends!" Or maybe they're for parents: "Here you go. Here's my address, my email, my phone number, and my fax number so that you can get a hold of me at any time of the day to discuss any amount of problems you are having". Or maybe I can give them to strangers: "Here you go. Should you ever have a child with special needs, look me up!"

I think I'll just carry them around to drop into those containers you sometime see in restaurants and cafes: "We randomly pick one business card a week, and you can receive a free meal/cup of coffee/flat screen TV/new wardrobe!"

In the meantime, I'm getting a lot more use out of my new tangle. As it turns out, I fidget more than advertise.

Ignorance is Bliss

Today. In my office/room. 9:36 AM.

Student 1: "What kind of teacher are you? I have my class teacher, and my speech teacher, but what teacher are you?"

Student 2: "Yeah, there's supposed to be 25 kids in here, but why is it just us?"

Me: "Well, what kind of teacher do you think I am?"

Student 1: "The teacher I have fun with!"

Boy, I didn't have the heart to tell them that I was the Special education teacher. For a second I was completely speechless.

One day, soon enough, they will realize that no one else from their class comes down to see me. They'll figure out that there are certain subjects they feel like they "can't" do. They'll feel different from everyone else. People might call them "stupid". The walk down the hall to my room will become a "walk of shame". They won't look forward to seeing me, because I'll be a constant reminder that they're different from everyone else.

But for now, they're just happy third graders.

So I said: "I'm just a teacher who gives some kids some extra help"

Sick Thoughts

There's nothing like being sick to make you wish you could go back to work...

Spilling my Thoughts

During the times when I'm not scheduled to see kids:

"I'm bored. What should I do? I could do this.... noooo. I could do that... hm. I don't feel like it. Did I get an email? I have to do this by tomorrow, maybe I should do it now... naw. Will there be a snow day tomorrow? Let's check weather.com. Did I get an email? Wait I should really do that thing... wait I don't feel like it. Is it time for another hot chocolate break?"

Right before it's time to work with kids:

"Maybe they'll be absent today; maybe they won't come. Maybe they'll be doing something special in class; maybe they won't come. If they come, what should I do with them today?"

When I'm working with kids:

"How much time do we have left? What should I do in that time?"
"Ten more minutes till they're done. Seven more minutes. Five more minutes. Two more minutes. Whew! They're gone now. Wait. I'm bored again."

On the car ride home:

"Am I there yet? Am I there yet? Am I there yet? How 'bout now? Now? Now?"

Upon arrival:

"HALLELUIAH!!" "I WILL NEVER LEAVE MY HOUSE AGAIN!"

Kindergarten Komments

"You are pinching my butt"

This statement marked the official start of my day. Two aides (or paraprofessionals as they are called in Michigan) were out sick today, which meant that I had to clear my morning schedule so I could be the aide for a kindergartner with high-functioning autism.

We were sitting on the floor for carpet time, my little (but heavy!) charge in my lap. He likes to sit in my lap, and he likes to have his shoulders pressed down because he has sensory issues (like many kids with autism). So we were sitting this way, and I started to really feel his weight. When I readjusted my criss-crossed position, I must have caught his little behind in the crease of my bent knee, because he looked up at me and said, slightly reproachfully: "You are pinching my butt".

Later that day, he was coloring a pattern of various shapes: green, yellow, red. He has fine motor issues, so he "let" me color the red ones when he got tired. Now, because this little guy has fine motor issues, he made great big strokes with his crayon, completely disregarding any lines whatsoever. He frequently ran into the other shapes even. I colored the red shapes pretty well for him, but after I had finished one near the end, he pointed at it and said:

"HEY! You colored outside the lines!!!"

I didn't have the heart to show him the mess he'd made of his shapes. That would have been, well... childish :)

Put it on my 'Professional Development' tab

Registration fee for one day Autism conference:
$195

Gas to get there:
$8 ish

Parking:
$8.25

Lunch:
$9.49

Doing something different than the everyday hum-drum:
Priceless!

The school paid the registration fee. I paid for everything else.

I wonder what would happen if teachers had their own expense accounts?!

Ode to January

Good riddance to January! (Is it June yet?)

I Win!

I have a fourth grade student with a learning disability that I see for 1 hour and 45 minutes every day. She LOVES competition! And because it is such a huge motivator for her, I try to make everything into a game... everything. We've been working on our diphthongs for a while now (vowel combinations such as oi, oo, au). For each diphthong set, I've made picture cards and word cards. We play lots and lots of games with these cards: Go Fish!, Memory, BOO, and Old Maid. Usually, I try to rig it so that she wins. Every once in awhile, I might win by accident, but then she likes to call for a re-match...

It wasn't until recently that we had started using the cards to play Old Maid. It's still easy to let her win this game, but for some odd reason, I can't bring myself to lose. There's just something about it that brings out the FIERCE COMPETITOR you all know me to be (haha). Even though I can see her get frustrated and stumped every time she loses, I can't help trying to win! Even when my head says "let her win this round", my heart says "NEVER!".

But regardless of who wins or loses, her prize is that she's becoming a better reader. And that makes both of us happy :)

Tomorrow is JEAN DAY!!!!

Teacher wardrobe rules at my school in California went like this:

1. Flip flops? Sure!
2. Capris or shorts? Why not?
   
3. Designer clothes? A must!
4. Wearing the same pair of pants in a week? Shameful!
   
5. Jean day? Everyday, if that's what you want!

Teacher wardrobe rules at my school in Michigan go like this:

1. Flip flops? Never!
2. Capris or shorts? You're fired!
   
3. Designer clothes? I got it at Big Lots!
4. Wearing the same pair of pants in a week? WHO CARES?
5. Jean day? Once a month and that's "lucky"
   

The Latest MOOs

When I asked my husband what I should blog about (I've been feeling uninspired), he said "cows". So, whether or not he was serious, here goes:

to ruminate:
1. to chew the cud, as a ruminant.
2. to meditate or muse; ponder

This is how I've been treating my job lately--I ruminate all the time about this and that. Right before I go to sleep. On my way to school. During my down-time in the day. Lately I've been ruminating about how boring and un-challenging my job is right now. I've gotten over the initial hurdle of getting to know the school, procedures, etc. Now I just feel like a glorified tutor who runs the occasional meeting, and fills out paperwork. This position isn't challenging enough.

And yet, if there was a job to open up this fall to teach children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, I don't think I would take it. Afterall, the Lord led me to this pasture for a reason. I prayed that I would be in the place where He could use me best, and I choose to have faith that this is that place.

Even if every once in a while it smells like cow poo.

Define "exquized"

All 6th - 8th grade students at my school were asked to write an essay about what they liked specifically about our school. Here are some excerpts:

" . . .the teachers are nice except when they have to buckle down and teach."

"[Our school] teaches us more than we need to know."

"They let you socialize every two weeks."

"I like [this school] because when you're not good at something instead of pulling you down the teacher pushes you up."

"My academics are good and they instill a lot of lessons that we will probably remembers till we die."

"These among many other factors are why I, and my family of course, have chosen this exquized educating facility."

And here's my favorite comment (maybe because I can identify with it):

" . . . and my last reason is because I have no choice."

Teacher Nature

There's Mother Nature, Sin Nature, Human Nature....

What about Teacher Nature?

It struck me today, as I was administering a computerized district test to an 8th grader, that there might be such as thing as a Teacher Nature. You see, this 8th grader receives special education services, and his IEP states that tests be read aloud to him (with the exception of reading tests). So I'm sitting there reading math question after question to him. I see him struggle with it, and have to bite my tongue because I'm not allowed to rephrase the question. I'm not allowed to point him in the right direction. I'm not allowed to ask prompting questions. I'm not allowed to help. I can only repeat the question and say things like: "Just do your best" and "Take your time". I have to watch his frustration in silence.

That just goes against my Teacher Nature.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Overheard between my two third-graders, as they illustrated their writing:

Girl: "Is life easy when you're grown-up?"
Boy: "I don't think it will be fun because they have to pay bills and stuff"
Girl: "But I love chores... Chores are my favorite!"

And a little later on:

Girl: "Do you know my mom?"
Me: "Yeah, she's a nice lady"
Girl (rolling eyes): "When you are her daughter, she drives you nuts and she's not that sweet"
Girl: "When you have kids, please do not drive them nuts, or they will be saying the same thing!"

Good advice...

Go Ahead....

... just ask me how I feel about going back to school tomorrow:

Meanwhile, My Feet Hurt

I've been slacking with my blog lately because I've just been having too much fun doing absolutely nothing! It's been great spending time with family for Christmas and New Year's....

I can't decide if I'm looking forward to going back to school next Monday, or if I'm dreading it. I have had a lot of time to reflect on this new position/role for me, and I've decided that it's lonely. I mean, sure, everyone has been nice at my new school, and I'm able to have short conversations here and there (mostly in the lounge), but I'm not working with an aide anymore. When I was teaching children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing back in California, I worked very closely with a classroom aide. Not only was she my right-hand-woman, but she was excellent company as well. But now I work solo. If the kids inadvertently say something funny, there is no adult eye to catch for a secret chuckle. There is nobody who knows all the ins and outs of my classroom who can give me feedback. There is nobody to spontaneously brainstorm with. There is nobody... except me.

Now before you all start to feel sorry for me, let me say that I could go walk down the hall and talk to my partner in crime who is the other resource room teacher (this is her first year of teaching). But this is just too inconvenient, unless it's lunchtime.

There are definitely lots of people who come see me in my little room/classroom/office everyday, but these people come because they have Problems. And part of my job is to "supervise" the special education aides, and help fix the problems, so this is okay.

I guess the point of this whole, long, wordy post is that, for the last two years, everyone came to talk to me to make sure that I was okay, to ask how I was doing, to know if I needed any help. You know, because I was the New Teacher. Now, in my third year, I'm suddenly in the position where I'm expected to give the support, to listen instead of talk, to encourage rather than be encouraged, to run the meetings instead of just participate.

It's like a new pair of shoes that I'm still trying to break in.

No More Nervous Eye Twitches For Me

This time last year, I was as busy as a bee with the kids singing in the holiday program, the Christmas party, Santa's workshop (arts/crafts day). All the activity and constant noise contributed towards a kind of happy stress--the kids were super excited, and I was too.

It's been harder to get into that kind of a Christmas spirit at my new job. I don't have an actual classroom to decorate, no kids to constantly calm down/manage/supervise. No random student gifts to open....

Instead, I've been student-less these past two days. I have a policy of not pulling my kids out of their classrooms during parties/special activities (thankfully, the general ed teachers are in total agreement--or at least they pretend to be anyway). So I've had a lot of "free" time to catch up on paperwork, hold meetings, plan ahead and create materials. It's been such a bizarre change of pace. It's weird not feeling totally and completely drained and exhausted the Friday before a break.

I do miss that feeling of happy-stress, though. But when I start to look longingly at the classrooms full of excitement, chaos, and hyper-happy children, all I need to do is take one look at the teacher. Then I feel thankful that I don't look like I'm about to have a nervous breakdown.

His and Hers

Here's what I did this weekend:

Here's what Max did this weekend:

The difference is, by the end of it, I will be closer to being fat while he will be closer to getting his Masters'!

Waterproof

You know what's awesome about my new winter coat? It has a hood with kind of a visor on it to shield my glasses from the rain and snow. That came in handy today when I was standing in the parking lot of the mall, in the rain, calling home because I locked myself out of my car!

It Just Keeps Getting Better

What's better than one snow day?

Two snow days in a row!!!!!

Hope Pays Off

Never in my life have I ever felt so fondly toward ice...

SCHOOL IS CANCELED!!!!!

I Can't Help It

As it turns out, we're an optimistic bunch here at my school. There was a decent chance that today would be a snow day, and everyone (staff and students alike, but mainly staff) was reminding everyone else to sleep tonight with their pajamas on backwards and inside out. I don't know if that's just a Michigan superstition, or what?!? In any case, there was a lot of hope in the air yesterday... a good amount of it coming from me.

I'm sure Max will tell you that last night I was practically giddy with hope at having my first snow day ever. He, on the other hand, was completely intent on squashing said hope by saying such foreboding things like "I went a whole year without a snow day", and "don't get your hopes up!", and "you're not getting a snow day". What is it with pessimists that they have to bring everyone down to their level? Oops, did I say "pessimist"? I meant "realist".

In the end, it doesn't matter if you're an optimist or a pessimist/realist: either it's a snow day, or it isn't.

It wasn't.

Not only was it disappointing not to get that super-special phone call, but I had gotten up twenty-five minutes earlier than usual in anticipation of the snow I would have to scrape off of my car. You know, because I'm responsible and like to get to work on time. Imagine my dismay when I looked outside and there was NO SNOW. Instead, there was what looked like a very light dusting of the tiniest amount of powdered sugar on the ground. Disappointment became exhaustion in the blink of an eye.

Some of you would think that I have learned a valuable lesson about "not getting your hopes up", or "listening to your husband who's always right", or "commuting an hour each way to work". But those people would be wrong. Because, Sunday? Sunday night we're supposed to get freezing rain. And I'll be wearing my pajamas inside out and backwards all weekend long.

Snow Daze

Every night, I pray for a snow day. I check the weather before I go to bed, hunting for signs of any precipitation. I sleep lightly in the wee hours of the morning, waiting for a phone call that would deliver the glorious news.

But it doesn't happen.

This morning came close. One of the other districts next to ours closed today. But we still had to show up. I got really excited on my way to work, though, when I got a phone call... Even at 6:45 when I was halfway to school, I still had a glimmer of hope that I would be able to turn around and go home. But it wasn't to be... it was just one of the aides informing me that her young kids went to the school that was closed today and so she wouldn't be able to make it in!

Lucky.

Save the Drama for Your Mama

I had a meeting with our school psychologist today. He tried to recruit me into his field, saying I'd be "great" and that I have "the right personality for it". When I said I wasn't sure about that, he encouraged me to at least think about it.

I wasn't planning on thinking about it, but after the kinds of drama I've had today, I'm wondering if being a school psychologist would be easier ....

Feeling Peevish

My room is the only one in a small hallway that connects the middle school wing to the main hallway. I have a nice little window in my door so I can see who's knocking before they come in (not that I can stop anyone from coming in!). My room is also right across the drinking fountain and the bathrooms. It's a nice little setup. The only thing that I don't like is... the middle schoolers. They think it's so hilarious to knock on my door as they walk by. Every time it happens, I swivel in my chair to see who it is only to discover that it's just some lame middle schooler who thinks he's funny. This happens at least three times a day, usually at the end of the day. This has become my ultimate pet peeve. Every time it's happened, I've resisted the urge to come flying out my door and grab the nearest pre-teen by the collar and give him a good shake. Instead I just stare at my computer and focus on not giving them the satisfaction of turning around and checking to see who it is.

One of these days, I'm going to inadvertently ignore the principal. I can just see it coming...

Just Your Average Monday Morning

Sunday nights are bad. Sunday nights after a long weekend are waaaay worse. Last night, I laid in bed for nearly two hours, trying to keep a rising wave of panic from overtaking me. As soon as I my head hit the pillow, I thought of about a million things I needed to do today and NOT FORGET. Then I thought of a thousand other things I needed to do THIS WEEK. Then I tried to sleep, but couldn't.

I must have dozed off at some point, because I woke up twenty minutes before my alarm with the most deafening crash I'd ever heard. It sounded like an entire bookshelf and all of its contents had tipped over. I rushed out to see what the cats had done now. I looked in every room. Nothing was out of place, except the guitar (and the crash didn't sound like it would come from a guitar). I was so confused. I decided to get dressed and ready to go. When I walked outside, I realized that there was snow on the car. When I had scraped it off, I sat for a minute in the car in order to let it warm up. As I sat there, I saw Mrs. Hufflepuff DART AROUND THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE! I freaked out IMMEDIATELY as any indoor-cat owner would do. Especially our indoor cats. They think cars are their friends.

So I turned off the car, and ran out after her. She dashed into the darkness. I spent six minutes circling the house calling "kitty kitty" and feeling the kind of fear I imagine parents feel when they've misplaced a child. Before panic could completely overtake me, I decided to open the door and make sure the other two cats were in. As soon as I got in and closed the door behind me, ALL THREE OF OUR CATS came sauntering down the stairs, all calm and collected, and with no regard to my hysteria. I was this close to crying, people. THIS CLOSE!

After I snuggled them goodbye, I got back into the car. Lesson learned: don't forget the neighbors have an outdoor cat.

Fun-ference

Our two day conference ended up being a LOT of fun. There's just something about getting forty teachers together that makes everyone explode in conversation and laughter. I spent hours both nights getting to know these three Christian girls (all my age)--which was a lot of fun! Day one of the conference was useful and I got a lot out of it. Day two was boring as all get out--basic "intro to educational psychology stuff". Stuff that if your college didn't teach you in your teacher prep courses, they should have their accreditation revoked. Stuff so basic and instinctual, it was like being told how to breathe. People were dying of boredom. I made 99 different words out of the phrase "Merry Christmas" (I challenge you to do better!).

The value of the conference wasn't so much in what we learned, but it was in who I got to know better. I'm finding more and more that I can't be a resource room teacher without having a good relationship with the other teachers... and that has been difficult so far because I started here in October, right in the swing of things, and there hadn't been a whole lot of opportunities to get to know people! But I made a concerted effort to hang out with the teachers from the grade levels I didn't know well, and now I feel like I can do my job 100% better. Also, I really like the staff here!

The Mother of All Meetings

Tomorrow after school, I head out to the west of the state for a thrilling, two day professional development conference with the entire staff. They are even putting us up in a hotel, no less! A cheap hotel, but still. While I'm looking forward to getting to know the other teachers better, I'm not looking forward to spending two days discussing assessment. I feel good about what I know about assessments and how I use them. If I have to sit through two days of meetings, I'd rather it be on a more fascinating topic, but I was not consulted on the matter. My interests are just too specific. Or maybe it's because I teach special ed., and everyone else is general ed. I've never had to work through an entire pile of paperwork to grade. I don't own a red pen. I don't even have the "gradebook" system installed on my computer like every one else.

When I (tactfully) inquired about the relevance of these meetings for me and my special ed. colleague, I was assured by the people in charge that no special breakout sessions were needed for us--that the general topic would be appropriate for us as well. If I find out they're wrong, they'll be getting some pointed looks, and some pointed yawns...

We shall see, my friends, we shall see!

Mischief, Mayhem, and Medicine

Lots has been going on with our kitties. First of all, they are still sick, despite over one hundred dollars in medicine since September. When they started puking snot and spit when I gave them their new meds last Friday, I knew something had to be done. Thankfully, our vet was concerned as well, and said he would see them again. So we all piled into the car after work today for the 25 minute drive to the vets' office. Mrs. Hufflepuff REALLY does NOT like the car. She meows constantly, and freaks out the whole way there. She was downright frightened of the windshield wipers...

Anyway. It turns out that all three of them have this rare bacteria thing called Pasteurella. New rounds of medicine for all! I just know they will be so excited to have more stuff shoved down their throats. We'll also have to decontaminate the entire house in about two weeks so they don't reinfect themselves.

But despite being sick, they are just as rambunctious as ever! Their new favorite toy is toilet paper. We've tried lots of ways of hiding it from them, but they are determined to do whatever it takes to find the toilet paper, and kill it to shreds. I have evidence to prove it:

Notice how they were nice enough to pose. They really didn't care that they were about to get scolded...

They stood proudly at the end of their trail of destruction.

"What, me? I would never do such a thing..."

Die, Germs, Die!

A whole week has gone by since my last post. A sick week. A sneezy, coughing, tired week.

As I was laying in bed a few nights ago, tossing and turning in a futile attempt to get the right amount of air into my lungs, I started wondering why it was that I never got sick while teaching in California, and yet I haven't been at school for one month here, and I'm already hacking.

Here's what I came up with:

1) I don't have a classroom aide sanitizing every hard surface at the end of each and every day like I did in California.

2) Michigan schools are INSIDE. There are hallways connecting every room and every office!!! In good ol' CA, everything was open and OUTSIDE. You had to go from portable to portable to get anywhere. There was no place for germs to hide, unlike my new school where they gather at every opportunity, waiting for you to walk by so they can maim you.

Well, there's not a whole lot I can do about being cooped up inside all time, but I did decide to be more vigilant with the Clorox wipes. I used them today. It's the same kind my aide used to use, and it makes the whole room smell like my job in California.

It's a good smell.

Just as long as I didn't catch something from our cats

I'm having a good week; no really, I am. It's my first real week, and I'm servicing kids which is great. In fact, that's the easy part of my day! It's all the other stuff that becomes overwhelming. Tracking down teachers for meetings, keeping on top of the paperwork, observing potential special ed. students, advising the special education aides, calling parents, setting up meetings, going to meetings.... I am still adjusting to this new role. So far, it's been more administrative than what I'm used to. And that's fine; I surprisingly don't mind... As it turns out, meetings are fine with me if 1) they have a point, and 2) they're not before school or after school. And so far, so good!

Today in particular was a good day because 1) I got my first paycheck (woo hoo! We'll eat tonight!), and 2) my health insurance started today. I normally wouldn't have cared much about the health insurance, but guess who's getting sicker by the minute? I don't even know if ice cream is such a good idea tonight (and now you know I'm serious). Here's to hoping I can make it to the weekend without feeling worse!

WouldaCouldaShoulda

I would have written a real post today, but I woke up at 4:45 AM, got to school at 6:45 AM and didn't get home until 6:10.

The End.

Let's Just Skip Winter

This morning I got up a little earlier than usual because I knew I had a big day today (what with my first "real" day servicing kids). And it's a good thing I did, because when I stepped outside, I discovered frost all over my car. At first, I thought it was just a little frost... nothing a swipe of the windshield wipers couldn't take care of. But then I looked closer. I rubbed my finger against the window.... FROST!! It took me a long time to come to the conclusion that it was frost because it has literally been years since I've seen the stuff on my car.

Anyways, at this point, I had a small moment of panic. Here I am, I'm in sandals, and only wearing a hooded sweatshirt for warmth, and I'm not sure if we have a de-ice-er-thingy in the car (see how long it's been? I've even forgotten the right word for it!). I opened the trunk to check, and sure enough, waaaaaayy in the back was a de-icer. When I picked it up it even stuck to the carpet a little, as though resentful of the need to be used. It will have to get used to being worked hard again. *Sigh*

You Know Who You Are

Dear Mail Carrier,

As I understand it, your job isn't that complex. You carry the mail from the post office to my mailbox. You carry my mail from my mailbox to the post office. The end. As I see it, you've only been doing half of your job. You see, last Monday we put a bright red Netflix envelope in our box. We were anxious to return it so that we could get another movie for the weekend. Alas, at the end of every day, we were dismayed to see it still sitting there. Sometimes, it was sitting there amongst grocery ads you dropped off. Sometimes it was sitting there among other mail. Sometimes we didn't get any mail. The point is, it's now Friday and we are left with no weekend entertainment. I'm not sure where to direct my complaint. I sure can't mail it to the post office because you and I both know that you will pointedly ignore it.

Mail Carrier, I'm not sure why you have failed so miserably in completing the other half of your job. Possibly you are too short to see into the box? Possibly you are scared of reaching in and finding a spider? Maybe the previous tenants played practical jokes and hid yucky things inside? Maybe you are new to this profession and you haven't been trained in this very difficult part of your job yet? Or maybe you are just unbelievably lazy?

Whatever the reason, just know that you are dealing with a school teacher. I have time-outs, suspension, and detention, and I am not afraid to use them!

Consider this your final warning!

Sincerely,
A Dissatisfied Customer

Thanks, but No Thanks

One of the things that I love about my job is that I get to work with lots of different kids in many different grades.

Yesterday morning, I was in a kindergarten classroom observing one of my students. When my student left the room, I got distracted by the other kiddos in there. I saw this boy, let's call him "Norman" (or, insert any other old person name you wish). He looked exactly like his name. He had bright red hair, parted on the side and slicked down with about a gallon of hair gel. He had a big, round, white face that was animated all the time. When he finished his work, he got up to go put his work away. In doing so, he noticed I was sitting right behind him. "HI!!!" he yelled to me. On the way back from putting his paper away, he tripped, fell to the ground and lost a shoe. This didn't phase him. He got up again, walked over to his chair, and when he passed me on his way, he yelled "HI!!!!" again (but this time with a wave). During snack time, he offered me a crushed goldfish cracker. Maybe just to be nice? Maybe as a bribe? Maybe as a friendship offering? I'll never know.

Empty Nesters

At the tender age of 25, my husband and I are already empty nesters.

Well, at least temporarily.... I dropped off all three of our kitties at the vet tonight because they're all getting spayed tomorrow (it's nice they work around my schedule and are willing to house them overnight for free). So. All is quiet on the home front. As soon as I got back into my car, I felt TOTALLY LONELY. Even now, I'm pining for a furry cuddle that I can't even get until tomorrow evening. I'm worried they're totally traumatized by having to spend all night in a foreign place. I also learned that there will be another kitty spending the night with them, and we all know how mean our kitties can be with strange animals...

It is totally pathetic how much I miss them! This does NOT bode well for if/when we have children of our own....

Officially Official

Well it's official! I don't know of too many other school districts who welcome their new teachers with a giant gift basket. In mine, there was:

• an assortment of snacks
• a Tide To Go pen
• bandaids (for all the kids we hit??)
• Purell hand sanitizer
• a silver frame
• a fancy commuter mug

What a great Friday!

Hats

I have yet to have a normal week at work. Last week was Not Getting Lost Week, Learning Names Week, and Setting Up Schedules Week. This week, I'm finally on my own, and it looks like this week will be Room Set Up Week, and MEAP Testing Week (that is our state's yearly standardized test). So far, I have set up the majority of my room, figured out testing schedules for sixteen different kids in four different grades, and ordered hundreds of dollars worth of supplies (on the school's budget--yea!!).

This job still feels really new to me. I know it will become all too familiar soon, but I'm still getting there. I have a picture on my file cabinet of two of my colleagues in California, and I keep waiting for them to walk across the hall and pop in. I anticipate good things from this job, but every once in a while, I'll startle myself by noticing something unfamiliar in my room and suddenly remember that I'm not in California anymore, that I'm not teaching DHH anymore....

I am a third year teacher wearing a different kind of hat.

Space

My first full week is over. Next week, I look forward to setting up my own room space. Technically, I still can't work with the kids yet until my fingerprints have cleared. You just never know who's going to be a psycho, I guess! But it will be nice to feel like I have my own space. There are two different resource rooms. I let the other teacher have the bigger/nicer room, but don't think it was an entirely altruistic move on my part: there is so much traffic in there, it would drive me insane! There are kids coming in there to "calm down", sensory kids in there taking a break and jumping on a small trampoline, other kids in there who need a quiet place to do work, and on top of that, it's the home base for the all the para-pros (aides) who work with our special needs kids. So I opted for the smaller room. Unfortunately, the temperature in my room doesn't register with the system in the rest of the building, so it ALWAYS feels like a meat locker in there. I was assured that I could get the administration to provide a space heater, though, so that will be my first order of business :).

But for now, I am really enjoying my weekend! It's nice to get up whenever, and not at butt o'clock in the morning...

Day Two

Well, Day Two of my new job just ended, and so far, so good! I haven't seen any kids yet, but the other Resource Room teacher and I are taking advantage of the fact that the RR teacher I'm replacing is here for the week to show us the ropes and take care of some details. This is making my transition a lot smoother.

For those of you who don't know, a resource room teacher services students with learning disabilities (and other disabilities) in the general education classroom. So I have students in grades K, 3, 6, 7, 8 who all need extra help with either math or reading. I will usually pull those students into my room for a certain number of hours a week (no more than seven as it turns out), or work alongside them in their own classrooms. And, of course, I'm responsible for writing and implementing IEPs. This is a new kind of role for me and I'm looking forward to all it entails. I really miss my deaf/hard-of-hearing students sometimes, but I remind myself that I came very close to not teaching at all this year! Plus, the experience will diversify my resume :)

The hour commute each way hasn't been too bad so far. I don't mind the drive itself (although, ask me that again in the winter!), it's the waking up at 5:40 AM every day and the ensuing early bedtime that is really kind of gross. Going to bed at 9 instead of 2 is quite a shock to my system!

More from me later.... that is, when I can wrestle the computer away from Max!

My Worst Nightmare

Back in June, when I left the perfect job in California, if you had asked me what my worst nightmare was in regards to teaching in Michigan, I would have said:

1. Teaching in a resource room
2. Starting late in the school year
3. Commuting

Today, I got a job that makes all three true and I could not be more excited!! After months of putting out dozens and dozens and dozens of applications, and lowering my expectations so far as to apply to "Dominoes", this job is a welcome blessing. It's a different role for me, but it will be good to diversify my resume. It also happens to be in a school about an hour away from here, and that bites, but I'm willing to overlook it! (If my mother-in-law can make that commute, why can't I?)

Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and the happy thoughts you sent my way... I start on Monday! Woo Hoo!

Modern Day Miracle

Last Friday morning, I noticed that something wasn't right with our cats. They were eerily still (usually they are tearing around in the morning). In particular, Mowgli, our wildest one, was sitting still and having difficulty breathing. All three of the cats have been sneezing for months, but this was a different story. Max and I finally decided that we should bite the bullet and bring them to the vet.

I called around first, and everyone said that it was going to cost around 30 bucks a cat, just for the office visit! This was unacceptable, so I found a place that had the word "affordable" in the name, and they said that it would be 25 total for the office visit for all three cats! Hooray!

I packed them all into the most ghetto cat carrier you could ever imagine (cardboard box with holes, wrapped in a mesh laundry bag) and drove to the vet. Mrs. Hufflepuff hates being confined in anything, and she got out of the box and strained at the blue mesh bag. She reminded me of a thief wearing a nylon over its head.

It was a relief to get to the vet and an even BIGGER relief to find out that he was willing to do everything for free (as long as we contacted this foundation who helps low-income folks to pay for vet bills--they would reimburse him if they took our case. If they didn't take our case, he was willing to take the loss). This miracle occurred for a couple of reasons:

1. I told him they were rescued cats.
2. I told him I was an unemployed teacher (his wife is in the same situation and now works as his receptionist)
3. GOD WAS LOOKING OUT FOR US!

Anyways, each of our kitties got two shots, then the vet sent me home with the rest of the medicine they needed. He also gave us free flea treatments, heart worm treatments, and special kitty food. I only ended up paying 39 dollars!!! I was ready to give that man a hug!!

So, we should be snot free by the end of this week. Already the kitties are doing much better. They can breathe, Mrs. Hufflepuff's right eye is staying open, and they are all more active.

And I'm a happy Mama!

Extreme Makeover: Resume Edition

As you all know, I've been searching high and low for all kinds of jobs that I consider myself "qualified" to do. In my mind, I'm like: "I can do that!", or "I can learn to do that!". Then I attach my resume, and I feel a moment of panic because my resume means nothing unless submitted to some kind of job in education. Here's a two sentence summary of my two page resume:

I taught these kids. Then, I taught these kids.

Most jobs I've applied for are receptionist/administrative assistant types of jobs. Suddenly all of my teaching skills mean "team player", "organized", "multi-tasking", "efficient time management", "strong communicator". They probably can see right through that and realize that's all bunk, and that is why I am still unemployed.

Cleaning Cat Snot is Not a Real Job

So far today, I've applied to be an appointment setter, an office manager to a travel agency, an academic placement assistant at the local community college, and a senior center care giver.

Now it's time to go make dinner...

"The Exciting Conclusion"

Well, after agonizing for two days over "should I/shouldn't I"? I decided to put the ball in their court. I was willing to take the job if they were willing to be flexible with my wage or throwing in added benefits. They were not flexible; I didn't take the job.

Although I'm relieved about the whole situation, I am also worried that nothing else will come up. I have my application out there for four different teaching positions (somehow still open for this fall), and four different office manager/administrative assistant jobs. I have to cast my net far and wide! Hopefully someone will bite soon!

Remember When I Was a Real Teacher?

I didn't get the job at the daycare center. They opted for someone with an early childhood credential. They offered me a part time position (32 hours a week). My responsibilities would be feeding the kids lunch and cleaning up, supervising nap time, and supervising recess time. Basically, a job that anyone with half a brain could do. Oh, and there are no benefits. The lady said she needed an answer by Wednesday afternoon. I still don't know what to do. Part of me just wants to give up and settle. The other part of me is insulted and is furiously praying for a miracle and poring over the classifieds.... again.

Tune in later for the exciting conclusion!

Interview Review

The interview itself went well. Later that day, I was asked to tour the center, the classroom in question, and the other two teachers in that classroom (it's three teachers to 20-24 preschoolers per classroom). The center was a brand new building, a beautiful, state-of-the-art center with every kind of equipment imaginable catered to young children. The kids were sweet; the teachers were kind and professional. So why did I feel so uncomfortable? First, it's not what I'm used to. Second, my heart is just not in it.

The director said they'd let me know by the end of the week. If they offer me the job, I will take it, and pray that I'll LOVE it. There are equally as many downsides to this job as upsides. But I'm determined to be thankful for what the Lord provides. I will be thankful. I will. I will.

Internet, I Have Missed You

There was a bit of a snafoo with AT&T, and it is unknown when we will have the internet hooked up in our new place. So for the moment I am taking advantage of the high-speed internet connection on campus. Woo hoo!

It's officially been one week since we've moved into our new duplex. Let me tell you why this place is SO MUCH COOLER than our last place (you remember, the sprawling apartment complex with all the mold and drunken neighbors?)

• When I look out my window, I see trees and other houses instead of a wall.
• There are two stories, so I can do my own thing and not worry about bothering Max when he's studying!
• We can't hear any neighbors fighting.
• There are TWO bedrooms. Yea!!
• When you walk out of the house, you don't have to go through a maze of hallways and stairs to get to the car!
• We're so close to a tower here that we're getting HD signals for major channels! Hello perfect reception!
• There are cats here!

The cats have been adjusting to indoor life quite well. They love the new couch, and they love hanging out on top of our bed, and running around underneath it. They also love coughing up hairballs on our bed. Okay, that only happened once, but it was worth mentioning. And even though it happened right after I put on a new duvet cover over our comforter, I still love my cats. This must be the feeling parents have when their baby blows out a diaper....

I am still job hunting. I have an interview on Monday morning for a nationally accredited daycare place that has seven campuses around the area. They have healthcare, and they reimburse tuition if you want to earn a higher degree! It sounds promising, and I'll let all five of you readers know how the interview goes!

Moving Day

I hardly slept last night. I blame my parents entirely: I'm pretty sure it's a genetic thing not to be able to sleep the day before a move. In any case, in just a few hours we'll be driving our three car caravan out to our new duplex. Here's to hoping that Labor Day and a certain College Football Game won't cause maddeningly slow traffic!

In related news, I am still unemployed. The job I interviewed for in my last post didn't work out, which I suppose is a relief as it's 80 miles away from where we live! I'm confident that the Lord will provide something, and it's just a matter of being patient....

Speaking of being patient, not having the Internet until next Friday is at the same uh-oh level as a worldwide ice cream shortage, and instills the same kind of panic as, say, millions of teachers at the thought of going Back to School.

Yet Another Post About the Job Hunt

... are you as sick of it as I am?

As it turns out, I didn't get the job I last posted about (the one with the family connection? remember?). But I did get called back to interview at the elementary school down the road (ironically the same one my husband went to as a child!). That was on Wednesday, and that went well. They tried to make it difficult, however, by asking me to critique a taped kindergarten writing lesson, and by asking me to design a lesson plan based on a benchmark that they provided. I felt good about all of the answers I gave, and they told me they would let me know by Monday (tomorrow). So..... I wait again.

In the meantime, there have been some fun distractions: Max's grandparents from Alabama visited with us, and my sister-in-law is back from Japan! And, as always, our three cats keep me occupied ;).

Another Chance

So that middle school resource room I talked about in my previous post? I don't think I got it, because they haven't called me yet and they said they were going to make a decision "very quickly". This rejection makes me feel totally relieved.

It also makes me feel like the elementary resource room position that I'm interviewing for tomorrow is much LESS of a scary prospect. Also in my favor? The principal who called me to set up the interview is a friend of my husband's family (at least, I THINK that's in my favor!-ha ha). She called on Friday, and it's a good thing that I had the weekend to prepare for my interview because she specifically asked for my portfolio. And I haven't updated my portfolio since 2003, before I even held a real teaching job or ANYTHING! So I've been busy trying to make myself look good on paper :). We'll see how I did tomorrow!

Desperate Times...

When I was in college, I had three different student teaching semesters as part of my program of study. The first one was in a resource room, and I decided then and there that I would NEVER do resource room because I really hated it. Well guess what? I just interviewed for a resource room position. Not only is it a resource room position, but it's a MIDDLE SCHOOL resource room position. Just shoot me now, will you?

The fact is, I'm terrified of getting this job, and I'm terrified of NOT getting this job. I officially have no more interviews lined up.

Square One

Well, I didn't get the job. I just found out on Saturday when I was still in New York. The lady said that I was "phenomenal" at the interview, but they decided to go with another candidate who had done some long-term subbing for them. Oddly, this news wasn't surprising to me, and I didn't feel disappointed about losing this specific job--I felt more disappointment about being back at square one. I just keep thinking that maybe this was the Lord protecting me from a bad team-teaching situation. I'm choosing to believe that there is something better out there for me, and I just need to wait and be patient for it... So thanks for your prayers!

In other, more happy, news, my little sister is officially a Mrs.!! We just got back from New York last night... The wedding was beautiful, the food delicious, the company pleasant. We had a great time!

Can't Wait Until the Wait is Over!

Yesterday I had my interview for the oral deaf program. I was really nervous! The interview lasted about an hour, and I think I did well. I'm happy with my answers. They said they would interview four or five more people today, and then there might be a second round of interviews next Monday (but maybe not, they weren't sure). Either way, they will let me know their decision within the next seven to ten days! I'm anxious to find out...

I found out a little more about the position while at the interview... it's a 4th/5th grade combined classroom with TWO teachers. So, if hired, I would be team teaching with another person. That could be fantastic, or it could be awful, depending on how well I would get along with the other teacher. We'll have to see what happens. Thanks for praying, everybody!

Send Me Your Prayers and Happy Thoughts

You know that teaching job that I was REALLY hoping to get? The director of the program called me yesterday, and I'll be interviewing on Monday (in two days!)!! Yes!!!!!

But I don't WANNA Go to Bed!

I didn't sleep a whole lot last night, so I've been pretty tired today. Even so, it's nearing one o'clock in the morning, and I can't bring myself to go to bed yet. My eyeballs hurt from staying open, and I'm swallowing bugs with my interminable yawns, but I'm a teacher on summer vacation and I OWE IT TO MYSELF to stay up as long as I can stand it!! One of these days (hopefully if that one job pulls through) I'll have to be asleep by ten and up by six and I'm going to think longingly of my summer freedom...

So here's to living it up! *Yawn*

Uncontrollable Hope

Back in early June, I interviewed for the only job opening in the oral deaf field in the entire state. It was for a middle school position, and I wanted to teach within my specialized field so badly that I convinced myself that I wouldn't mind teaching middle school. I did a great job at the interview over the phone (if I do say so myself), but when I found out that I didn't get the job, I didn't know whether I should cry from relief or disappointment. It takes a special person to teach middle school. I am not that person.

Since this hoopla has ended, I have made my peace with the thought of using one of my other credentials as a teacher (mental impairment or elementary general ed). I currently have over twenty applications out there... But this past week, I stumbled across another job opening in the oral deaf field (Kindergarten or preschool, not sure which)--this was big news, as there are only five oral deaf programs in this entire state (which is fortunate; some states have none), and two of them are way too far for a commute. This particular opening is in the perfect location. I sent all of my materials via express mail to meet the deadline, and emailed the director of the program. I told myself to breathe, and not get my hopes too high, but it was too late. As soon as I saw the posting, my hopes were HIGH. Higher than the clouds above.... there was no controlling it. You can't tell hopes to be realistic and to come down a little. Hopes won't listen to reason.

I thought that I had made my peace with teaching other types of kids (as opposed to deaf ones) but I suppose that this job posting has revealed my true desires. The deadline closes tomorrow afternoon, and I am HOPING and PRAYING that I get a call to interview this week. I know that the Lord is in control of everything... and I try to cling to that in the face of all of my anxiety and anticipation!

City Slicker

Yesterday, I learned that girl dogs pee by squatting, as opposed to lifting a leg (which I thought all dogs did). The wonders of country living never cease to amaze!

Back to School???

Well, it's officially happened. Stores have started their "back-to-school" advertising campaign, effectively taunting every teacher out there enjoying their summer vacation. Last summer, I felt dread at the thought of going back--I wouldn't have felt so much dread at the end of August, but in the middle of July?!? Next thing you know, they'll start advertising on the first day of summer vacation in June. Come on, people.

I complain about this, YET... I walk into the local Wal-Mart with their big "back to school savings" signs, and their middle aisles full of glue, crayons, pencil cases, etc, and I start to feel an almost uncontrollable urge to buy class sets of everything. I find myself wandering in the office section, wondering how I could justify buying a five hundred pound pack of colored printer paper, or my eye catches a pocket shoe holder and I think about all of the classroom supplies that thing could hold...

And truthfully, knowing that there's a chance I could NOT get hired as a teacher this fall actually makes me long for the first day of school. Life is a paradox.

Newcomers

Lots of excitement over here. The arrival of my parents from France has resulted in a frenzy of cleaning, bug bombing, shopping, and more cleaning. We picked them up from the airport last night and they are looking forward to going to the store today and getting all of their favorite American food (Taco Bell! bagels! oreos! frozen yogurt!). I anticipate they'll be wanting to see what new movies are out now... and mom and I will for sure be heading out to the mall at some point this week. Yay for summer vacation!

Application Woes

I am still looking for a teaching job in Michigan. Today, I filled out my 1,503rd online application. Each application is slightly different than the last. I'm beginning to think that California had the right idea with "EdJoin"--submit one application for all districts in the state! To annoy me even further, many of these applications I've been cranking out are asking for ridiculous information in the form of essay questions. And they don't ask for one essay question per application, they'll typically ask you about twelve questions. For two districts, I even had to fill out a type of "teacher personality/style" survey (timed! multiple choice!). Furthermore, even the little questions that I often encounter can be SO nit picky. Example: High school GPA (who remembers?), or University Student Teaching Supervisor's phone number, or Name of Your Ninth Grade History Teacher, or Principal's Social Security Number... To make matters even more frustrating, I have to upload all kinds of attachments to each application--and with the slooooow connection out here, it takes seven minutes PER upload!

I'll be SOOO glad once this is all over!

Nearing Our Five Year Anniversary

Recently, Max (my loving, loving husband) remarked that he could kill me once, or he could kill thousands and thousands of bugs for me over a lifetime. He asked me which I thought was more efficient.

He was smacked.

There Were None in California

Dear bugs,

Here in rural Lapeer, there is ample room for everyone. Behind our house, you will find a big barn that you are welcome to, as well as the corn fields, soybean fields, the pond, and the forest beyond that. In fact, as bugs are generally supposed to live outside, I feel that this is a more than reasonable amount of space for you to roam/fly in.

As we are being so generous in sharing our land with you, the following would be much appreciated:

1. Stop dive-bombing us on our daily walks (that's you, horseflies!)
2. Bees, stay clear of my husband
3. STAY OUT OF THE HOUSE! Buzzing around lamps, crawling on walls and window sills, and sleeping on MY pillow will result in your immediate and swift destruction

In conclusion, I believe that we will all get along fabulously if you stick to the outdoors, and adhere to the rules outlined above. If not, we will continue to use bug spray, ant traps, fly swatters and even tissue to live in peace.

Thank you.

You Can't Take the Teacher Out of Me

I've been wanting to go the local library for about a week now, and I finally borrowed my mother-in-law's card, and headed to town today! It was 11:15 when I pulled into the parking lot, and to my dismay, it was deserted. I thought "of course, today would be the day it was closed...". I was a little annoyed, because it's about a five hundred mile trip into town and I didn't want to have to come back tomorrow. Fortunately, when I checked the library hours, they were going to open at noon so I headed over to the book store/teacher store to kill some time. Standing there, in the midst of bulletin board trim, die-cut letters, teacher resource books, and various charts and posters, I felt absolutely inspired... if only I had a classroom that I could go to and decorate and plan and organize! I'm not saying that I'm ready to go back to school yet, but it would be nice to know that I had a teaching job lined up for the fall and that there was a classroom somewhere out there waiting for me...

When I finally got inside the library, I found a delightful book called "Village School" written by a "Miss Read" (pen name). It's about a little school in the 1950's in the English countryside. I've read a few chapters already and it's unbelievable how differently they taught back then! I would be fired if I started the school day with my students each morning with a hymn and a prayer! Anyways, I feel a little weird about reading a book about a school on my summer off, but oh well.

Introducing....

Gizmo (our calico kitten) and
Mrs. Hufflepuff (our gray and black kitten)

Ironically, we named our cats before anyone could suggest cat names on my previous posts, but I enjoyed hearing your ideas anyway (Mom: next time we have two pets to name, Mona and Lisa will be in the running!). I wish I had a great picture to post of them, but since this internet connection is mind-numbingly slow, it was out of the question. So just picture two adorable kittens, and that will have to do.

Other than that, there is not much else to report! Still waiting on a job.... still sleeping in and lazing around the house doing nothing :).