I MADE A WORKSHEET!

>>While my ever growing obsession with pintrest.... well continues growing. I have slowly been obsessing over how to create my own teacher worksheets that look professional, and have everything I need. I have a student who works on writing letters, tracing and functional sight words, and I have made the following: Well, it won't let me upload. But someday you will the glory that is SPED teacher's beautiful worksheets. They include the student coloring a picture of the word, tracing the word, then writing the word. It gives them practice in many different ways and I love it. I am very proud of myself and now I have a template to put words from all different areas of my curriculum. YAY learning.

Fire alarm

>>Tuesday while I was enjoying my 40 mins of quiet time during my lunch break, the fire alarm went off. The fire alarm never really goes off without teachers knowing about it before hand. This gives us time to prepare. During lunchtime the fire alarm NEVER goes off. So, I quickly rush to the lunchtime room and grab the two of my students that always spent time there. I was looking for Mary who is usually in there too, but was not. We head out to our spot. The entire school is confused. Students who were at lunch are trying to decide where they line up. The other SDC teacher and I are trying to keep our students organized and non-meltdowny (yes, I invented that word) When I get out to the our spot, I see Mary. She looks shaken up. Worried. I assume it's because the fire alarm was going off. Immediately she said "It was me. I pulled the fire alarm. It was me. It was me. ______ told me to do it, but I asked him how to do it. It was my fault" I told the other SDC teacher because ______ is in his class. I found the vice principal, and explained to him what she said. When the office gave us the all clear, I went back to Mary. She continually repeated "I wanted to get kicked out of this school. I did it. I wanted to never come back. Now I won't have to come back. etc. etc. etc." She then refused to come with me to the office. After shouting (well, the most shouting I really would do) That yes you will be getting in trouble but you need to come with me NOW. She followed me to the office. While sitting in the office... the alarm goes off AGAIN. (NOT MY FAULT) students are moving, and confused. Long story short, the fire department came. Mary was yelled out. Talked to. Little did I know that Mary felt like she hated this school and did not want to go here anymore. NOBODY told me that she had been talking like this all day, and actually asked ______ to give her a way to get kicked out of the school. TEACHERS AND AIDES HAD HEARD HER, but nobody told me.

>>Suspended for 5 days.. we will see how Tuesday goes. Rumors spread, and people learned. OF COURSE it was my student that pulled the alarm. OF COURSE. I tried to explain it to my other students about what happened and how this can be a learning experience. They seemed to understand, but that didnt stop this week from being pretty hellish. It's pretty much that time of the year where the students are checked out, and I am tired of lecturing and yelling. Instead, I am now pawning them off into trouble rooms, handing out citations, and giving lunch time detentions. It's the best thing I can do to keep my sanity.

>> In other news, I cleaned out a few cupboards this week and moved around my classroom which made me super happy.

>>and Finally, my home hospital student is VERY VERY VERY sick. She's been in the hospital since Monday. Lungs not working, hooked up to machines, fever continues spiking. Please please please keep her and her family in your thoughts.

>> One of my students pulled the fire alarm during lunch because she wanted to get into trouble..

'Nuff said.

>>Everyday brings new and different challenges. I feel like I get to a point where things are calm, but then something else comes up. It's okay. Take each day as it comes.

>> I have been overly obsessed with the education tab of pintrest. Sooo many good ideas. Soo many fun projects. Sooo many fun worksheets. how do these people make these beautiful worksheets! I want a program that can do that. Help!

So much

>>so much has happened over this past week, I cannot explain it all. Steve, (the student who went on the roof a week ago, and has been caught leaving campus and walking along the side of a busy road) Had a huge major melt-down monday, and as of wednesday we decided to find him another placement. The meeting was strenuous, and insane, and I am still getting text messages from mom trying to make me feel guilty. But, I know it was right. Someday I will explain the incident.

>> Carl, my student from last year, is coming back starting next week. I am really excited because I liked Carl, but I am dreading the idea of yet ANOTHER student. It's okay. We will deal.

>>I have been told by almost everyone in Jamie's life that I am the person he trusts more than anyone in the whole world, and he talks about me all the time. This makes me happy. I know that the relationship we have, is what he needs and I am so glad he is back in my life. I am sad the circumstances that led to this point, but I know that what I am doing is right. I know that spending time with him makes us both feel good. I know that this is above and beyond what other teachers might do, but it makes me feel so happy and worthwhile (with the same for him) that I know it is amazing. I know I will be the person in his life for many years to come and I am glad to be that person.

>>Sam let the word "motor boating" slip out today and I have never seen a student more upset or embarrassed. I am assuming he meant this as something inappropriate, but I felt so badly because he just could not get over the fact that he said that word to me. He came to me and apologized so much and over and over and was sorry. It was cute.

>>Finally, I had a meeting with Nick's mom yesterday and SHE went on and on and on about how much he likes me and my class. She said he comes home and everyday is quoting me, telling her about me, telling what I said or did and how great it is. She is so happy with how well he is doing and fitting in.

ahh. Happy.

>>Oh, and actually I got asked today if I wanted to be "teacher of the lifetime" because of how awesome I am. This makes me feel awesome. Makes it worth it.

Another day..

>>Nick: I don't know why anyone would want to be a teacher. It seems boring.

Me: Trust me you guys are never boring.

>>A few weeks ago (after vacation) I thought to myself, I am sort of a lazy teacher. I sit at my group table. Move back and forth to my desk. Do the same thing almost daily. Never mixing it up. I had not tested my students skills or goals since before break. I RARELY left my classroom. I felt like I was being lazy. I felt like I should be more involved, more proactive. I spoke too soon. Within the last two weeks I have come home EXHAUSTED. I feel like I barely have time to think. I left the house two days last week, locked the door and realized I didn't have my car keys with me. I find myself checking my work email until 9 o'clock and night and REPLYING to emails because there is just so much to do. I have scratch paper notes stuck in every section of my planner to remind me of things that need to be done. I synced my outlook (work) calendar with my phone to ensure that I would remember everything, and that I could add appts. while I am at home and thinking. I had a student climb on the roof. Last week I had a meeting everyday after school (well except friday) 2 on thursday. 2 during school hours, and plus one in the morning. I had duty 3 days last week, an aide change schedule, and took out Jamie mid-week. So far this week, I had a speech teacher pawn off a student to my caseload, a student become violent and get suspended for 3 days. A meeting that lasted until 4 after school and then I brought Jamie home. Tomorrow I have duty, taking Jamie out. Wednesday I have a meeting during my lunch, and a meeting before school. I never again will say that I feel lazy.

>>Quotes: YAY WE"VE MISSED THIS FUN PART!

Phillip: Tomorrow I want to learn how to speak whale.. AHHOOOOHHHOOO.

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Nick: I am 2 weeks off of energy drinks.. I think I have ADHD.

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Sam: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT I AM A FULL GROWN TEENAGER!

AHH

>> Jamie may be leaving again. Gosh. As it was last year, it is again one of the hardest situations to go through. I feel like I am his ONLY good stable influence. He is a good kid. He is a fun kid. I have SO much fun being with him. They will not let him have a razor at the receiving home, so I kept him after school today and brought him one to use. Then brought him back around 4. I seriously want to bring him home everyday. Let him sit in my house, eat a snack, do some homework, read. All these things a stable household should be. He has NEVER had that. Well, he has lived with two different uncles and they were good. But, they could not handle him so, it did not work out. So what not? He gets moved to another NEW enviornment. ANOTHER new family. ANOTHER new school. How is that fair? When is it too much? When am I caring too much? There too much? I don't think there is a too much, but maybe there is? This is so beyond anything I have been trained to deal with. Caring for these kids, loving this kids. It's hard.

>> so what now? We wait. We wait to see what his social worker does. He has no say in anything because he is under 16. He cannot even talk during his court dates. He needs to be taught to advocate for himself. But, he can't. It's hard. So, he ends up getting moved again and I may never hear or talk to him again? That's what happened after last year, and I thought I'd never see him again, but now he's back so how do we prevent that? How to I ensure he knows I am here for him no matter what, because that's what he needs. This seems so impossible.