headache

>>Headache headache headache. All day today. I tried to remember that most headaches are caused from dehydration and drank my nalgene bottle empty about 4 times today, it still didnt help. We began "standardized" testing today. Normally this is a cause for stress. It is difficult to deal with kids who have to spend 100 minutes every morning taking a hard test. But, I teach special education. So, almost every single one of my students takes a different type of test, or a different level, or in a different grade. Just getting prepared for this week was nuts. not to mention the resource teachers at my school needed help so I ended up taking on some of their students. To top it all off, these tests are difficult for my students. It is hard enough for them to sit still while in their 15 minute groups before we rotate, but to sit down at a desk, for 100 mins, taking a very difficult, dry test, and then have to continue to sit quietly while other students finish working. Almost impossible. THEN! to top it all off they have each of their 7 periods after the 100 min block which they have to do work in. I went VERY easy on my students and let them off with some fun games for most of their classwork today. I couldnt bare to make them sit quietly, and work on difficult math for another 35 mins. I couldnt bare it myself.

>>in any case, my students did well. Only 5 more days of this to go.
BAH!

Rough.. but then letting go.

>>I had a meeting during my lunchtime, so when I came back to lunch I was scrambling to get stuff together as well as woof down the rest of my sandwhich. Little did I know when one of my students was called over the intercom would their parent come storming into my room complaining about everything, making disgusted faces, and asking me to explain why her student was still wearing her P.E. shirt. I was first complained to about the fact that I gave the student a pair of my shoes that were brand new and did not fit me. I am so sorry that we bring in clothes for the boys in my class but the girls don't get anything? Then it went into "why is she wearing that shirt?" She ended PE 3rd period. It is now the end of lunchtime. She always changes either after 5th or during 6th. I told the mom, "this is MY lunch period. I do not take her during my lunch period" SoRRYYYYYYYYYYYY. In any case, after she left my IA looked at me and said, "wow i am so sorry you have to deal with that" yes. I am too. It really bugged me. How can one parent make me feel so belittled and lower? I don't deserve that. It really really bothered me. Especially because we have an IEP tomorrow, I kept thinking, "maybe I am not doing things correctly.. How can I cover my butt?" but, then I thought, " I do the best I can. I make their student work hard and get their work done. I am a place for support and comfort. I have helped this student grow. and I give them a place where they can be themselves." What is so wrong with that? I do not need to make excuses for doing a good job.

>>In any case, I was a little down and frustrated. I felt bad. I felt not as confident as I usually am. The end of the trimester was on Friday, so I have been retesting my students using the Fry's sight words and the Slosson Oral Reading inventory. My students have made progress!!!!!! This made me feel amazing. When students are from 12-15 progress is slow going. But, I had a student that could read 19 out of a 100 words. Today, he read 89 words! amazing. each student has shown me that they know at least 10 more words than the last time I tested them (in November). That is amazing. That is why I teach