>>I am so sick of gossip. Don't get my wrong, I am as nosey and interested and chatty as the next person. I want to know whats going on, with who, and when, and all that. But, it seems in every single work environment there is going to be gossip and cattiness. I pride myself in being a good friend. I balance the lines where I seem to get along with pretty much everyone. There have been MORE than a few times where I find two people complaining about the other person to me. I find myself in the middle. I find myself hearing about the issue from both sides. I listen, give my two cents and move on. Occasionally I try to drop hints in order to resolve conflicts. But the majority I just want to be there for my friends, and listen. "grouch-aid" (Wow, maybe that name needs to change) is dating the RSP teacher. Did I say that? Well apparently RSP teacher is telling people that I am not trustworthy. That nobody should trust me. That anything that I am told goes directly to our director of special ed. This is annoying and upsetting. He should take the name grouch-teach. Because he is. He's bossy, mean, and a bully. And it drives me crazy. I should just move on. Ignore. Be the bigger person but this hurts my feelings. I want people to think I am trustworthy. I dont' want to be stuck in this middle of this gossipy trash. I hate it. And I hate that it gets to me. The best thing would be to ignore right? But, why does that seem so impossible..
Urggg.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Update
>>I changed my background to halloween-y type. I thought it was fun, and I needed a change. I needed something new. I am still learning blogspot, and how to tweak things so I like them, but I'll probably never get it perfect. "grouch-aid" (as she is so nicely called) had her last day friday, and the new I.A. came and learned her way around. She was AMAZING so far. She is new, so she's fresh and not jaded. She wants to do things correctly. She took the science book home to prepare for next week. She offered to take papers home to grade because she rarely sleeps (She said insomnia) After school she asked me what she was supposed to do? I told her, "well, now you can go home?" She was so surprised! She asked if there was anything else she could do. THIS WAS AMAZING. she came out in the hot sun, and played basketball with us. She took the students to the bus. Helped the kids get their lunches. Stuff I did, but really shouldnt have done. LIFE IS GOING TO BE AMAZING if this continues. It is nice to have someone who WANTS to be there. Someone I dont have to tiptoe around. Someone I don't have to WORK to show them how amazing my kiddos are. That is what I deserve. I don't deserve to have to make someone's life easier just because they don't want to work in my classroom. That's how it was. I GAVE into too many demands from her, when I never did that before for ANYONE. I didn't do some lessons/work that I BELIEVED IN, because she complained how much she hated that type of stuff. I regret this. I should never let anyone dictate how I teach. I did so much for my students last year, that I regret not doing what I could have for this last month. Things will be different now.
>>I have this new curriculum called SIPPS. My goal this weekend was to organized and learn the first few lessons so I can start to teach it this week. Of course it is now Sunday, and I put it off, but I still have today, and I will prepare and learn it. This program may be a LITTLE too advanced for some of my kiddos, but we'll get them there. It really focus' on phonic sounds, which pairs with sight words, gibberish words, weekly spelling lists (Even though I already do this). Hopefully I can supplement additional stories that match with the sound for the lesson, and I can extend one lesson for a whole week. I am excited. I am excited to start fresh, and prove what I can do.
>>I have this new curriculum called SIPPS. My goal this weekend was to organized and learn the first few lessons so I can start to teach it this week. Of course it is now Sunday, and I put it off, but I still have today, and I will prepare and learn it. This program may be a LITTLE too advanced for some of my kiddos, but we'll get them there. It really focus' on phonic sounds, which pairs with sight words, gibberish words, weekly spelling lists (Even though I already do this). Hopefully I can supplement additional stories that match with the sound for the lesson, and I can extend one lesson for a whole week. I am excited. I am excited to start fresh, and prove what I can do.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Always crazy
>>I could begin each one of my posts with "this week was crazyyyy". I am trying to just admit to myself that my job is crazy. Being a teacher is crazy, but teaching special education is crazyyyy. Everyday is different. Every student is different. This week we had a different schedule EVERY SINGLE DAY of the week. Monday was regular. Tuesday was intervention day. Wednesday intervention day. Thursday assembly (periods went: assembly, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6, 7). Friday was a minimum day (periods went: 1, 2, 3, 6, 4, 5, 7) My students have difficulties learning when they don't know what is coming next, or where they are supposed to go next. To top it all off, my 6 hour aide was absent wednesday - friday. We survived. Kids were nuts. Adults were nuts. So what did I do? One night I cried (this first time this year!) and next day I just laughed. I embraced it. I HAVE to.
>>Apparently Philip thinks our new I.A. looks like a judge of America's Got Talent. Phillip LOVES that show. He could talk about that ALL DAY LONG. He knows the acts, what they do, what their names are etc. He thinks that the new I.A. looks like Pierce, so while playing UNO we finally figured how why he had been calling him Pierce since he got here. I asked Philip about the winner, and he told me the name (I don't remember) and then I asked "well what act did he do?"
Phillip: He danced. He danced on a pole! He is going to vegas. He won. and Dances on a pole.
Me: He dances with a pole?
Phillip: I want to dance on a pole. I want to go to vegas and dane on pole.
Me: No, Phillip thats dangerous.
Philip: No. Miss __. I can do it! It not dangerous. I dance on pole.
Me: Phillip. Okay, but thats for adults. So you can't do that.
Phililp: No. I do it. I dance on pole.
John: Philip, thats what girls do! They dance with poles.
Phillip: I can do it! I'll be good at it!
We attempted to end the conversation there.. HA!.
>>Also, Sam gave a girl his phone number. He came in yesterday morning and wanted to tell me something important, but I had to promise I would not tell any of the other kids. He pulled me outside and explained, how the girl he liked last year, helped him figure out his cell phone number and write it down on a piece of paper for her. He was SO excited. I'm glad he shared it :)
>>Apparently Philip thinks our new I.A. looks like a judge of America's Got Talent. Phillip LOVES that show. He could talk about that ALL DAY LONG. He knows the acts, what they do, what their names are etc. He thinks that the new I.A. looks like Pierce, so while playing UNO we finally figured how why he had been calling him Pierce since he got here. I asked Philip about the winner, and he told me the name (I don't remember) and then I asked "well what act did he do?"
Phillip: He danced. He danced on a pole! He is going to vegas. He won. and Dances on a pole.
Me: He dances with a pole?
Phillip: I want to dance on a pole. I want to go to vegas and dane on pole.
Me: No, Phillip thats dangerous.
Philip: No. Miss __. I can do it! It not dangerous. I dance on pole.
Me: Phillip. Okay, but thats for adults. So you can't do that.
Phililp: No. I do it. I dance on pole.
John: Philip, thats what girls do! They dance with poles.
Phillip: I can do it! I'll be good at it!
We attempted to end the conversation there.. HA!.
>>Also, Sam gave a girl his phone number. He came in yesterday morning and wanted to tell me something important, but I had to promise I would not tell any of the other kids. He pulled me outside and explained, how the girl he liked last year, helped him figure out his cell phone number and write it down on a piece of paper for her. He was SO excited. I'm glad he shared it :)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Better
>>Many things happened between now and yesterday that completely made me feel better.
1. numerous teachers at my school are feeling the exact same way. Overwhelmed and very "april-ish" (that will make sense to many teachers I am sure)
2. I talked with my loving mama. Who states and her and my aunt (who are both teachers) laughed at my blog from last night because they are feeling so similar.
3. Finally, I came home to a clean reorganized house. My boyfriend did this. AMAZING.
all three of these things make me a happy better feeling teacher.
THANK YOU ALL : )
1. numerous teachers at my school are feeling the exact same way. Overwhelmed and very "april-ish" (that will make sense to many teachers I am sure)
2. I talked with my loving mama. Who states and her and my aunt (who are both teachers) laughed at my blog from last night because they are feeling so similar.
3. Finally, I came home to a clean reorganized house. My boyfriend did this. AMAZING.
all three of these things make me a happy better feeling teacher.
THANK YOU ALL : )
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
exhaustion
>>Exhaustion is setting in. I am taking on too much. Everyone says that your first year of teaching is when you can barely survive, and you are over whelmed, figuring out life, etc, etc. Right now, I am taking on too much.
I have 9 students.
I also have 1 RSP student for math, and 3 of the other SDC teachers students for math different periods (which means I have to grade them even though their teachers are suppling work),
I work 3 days a week after school for 2 hours with my home -hospital student,
I am on the Positive Behavior Supports committee, and through that my job as working with wrap around requires me to attend meetings with students are need help outside of school between family, life, friends, etc.,
I am on another committee called sunshine that helps provide staff members with treats during birthdays, marriages, staff meetings, etc.
we have department meetings at least twice a month with out Special education department.
I have 5 triennial IEP's and 1 initial which means that student needs to be completely reassessed and reports need to be written.
And finally I have to complete BTSA (two versions) which is required for all new teachers in order to clear your credential. This requires MORE meetings, volunteer hours, article reading, etc, etc, etc.
>>THIS IS TOO MUCH. Lot's of this stuff is required so I can't get out of it. I am falling behind on essential things. Losing items. Forgetting papers. THIS IS NOT ME. Then I get home by 5:15 - 5:30 eat dinner and then I want to sleep. I need to breath, and handle it, but it's daunting. I need to make lists, check things off, one by one, but right now the amount is over whelming. Then, I forget to do something and it puts me right back down where I started. So, I will go and finish grades (because progress reports are due friday). I will attempt to begin testing a student tomorrow. I will send home assessment plans, and finish Monday IEP's. I will take my students to the assembly tomorrow, deal with a substitute for one of my I.A.'s attempt to allow other people to help me accomplish what I know will get done.
>>In other news, I almost cried today at school, for some stupid reason. Phillip was drinking his gatorade outside the classroom (I worry about messes and spills). When I went to check outside, he was just gone. I searched THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. Ran around the hallways, had students check the bathrooms, checked the office, spare rooms, bushes. Then, he was just there. I was so so so so frustrated. I could not express to him how much he scared me and he did not even understand. I was so frustrated (I know, i said that already) and he just acted like it was nothing. I know he did not understand.
>> Breathe.. Breathe.. Make list.. check things off... get through it. .. adapt.. breathe..
I have 9 students.
I also have 1 RSP student for math, and 3 of the other SDC teachers students for math different periods (which means I have to grade them even though their teachers are suppling work),
I work 3 days a week after school for 2 hours with my home -hospital student,
I am on the Positive Behavior Supports committee, and through that my job as working with wrap around requires me to attend meetings with students are need help outside of school between family, life, friends, etc.,
I am on another committee called sunshine that helps provide staff members with treats during birthdays, marriages, staff meetings, etc.
we have department meetings at least twice a month with out Special education department.
I have 5 triennial IEP's and 1 initial which means that student needs to be completely reassessed and reports need to be written.
And finally I have to complete BTSA (two versions) which is required for all new teachers in order to clear your credential. This requires MORE meetings, volunteer hours, article reading, etc, etc, etc.
>>THIS IS TOO MUCH. Lot's of this stuff is required so I can't get out of it. I am falling behind on essential things. Losing items. Forgetting papers. THIS IS NOT ME. Then I get home by 5:15 - 5:30 eat dinner and then I want to sleep. I need to breath, and handle it, but it's daunting. I need to make lists, check things off, one by one, but right now the amount is over whelming. Then, I forget to do something and it puts me right back down where I started. So, I will go and finish grades (because progress reports are due friday). I will attempt to begin testing a student tomorrow. I will send home assessment plans, and finish Monday IEP's. I will take my students to the assembly tomorrow, deal with a substitute for one of my I.A.'s attempt to allow other people to help me accomplish what I know will get done.
>>In other news, I almost cried today at school, for some stupid reason. Phillip was drinking his gatorade outside the classroom (I worry about messes and spills). When I went to check outside, he was just gone. I searched THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. Ran around the hallways, had students check the bathrooms, checked the office, spare rooms, bushes. Then, he was just there. I was so so so so frustrated. I could not express to him how much he scared me and he did not even understand. I was so frustrated (I know, i said that already) and he just acted like it was nothing. I know he did not understand.
>> Breathe.. Breathe.. Make list.. check things off... get through it. .. adapt.. breathe..
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
>>Just quotes today:
Frank: Do we really get free time today?
Me: Yes, if you finished all your work and were well behaved, you get free time.
Frank: you should get ping pong in here!
Me: Ping pong?
Sam: No! I pool table!
Me: Where would I put that? Just get rid of all the desks and put in a pool table?
Sam: Sure!
Phillip: How about a hot tub!
Eddie: Yeah, I have 20 dollars, i'll get you to help out!
Me: 20 dollars? that's a small fraction of how much it's going to cost.
--
HA! I wish we could set up all that stuff in my classroom!
Frank: Do we really get free time today?
Me: Yes, if you finished all your work and were well behaved, you get free time.
Frank: you should get ping pong in here!
Me: Ping pong?
Sam: No! I pool table!
Me: Where would I put that? Just get rid of all the desks and put in a pool table?
Sam: Sure!
Phillip: How about a hot tub!
Eddie: Yeah, I have 20 dollars, i'll get you to help out!
Me: 20 dollars? that's a small fraction of how much it's going to cost.
--
HA! I wish we could set up all that stuff in my classroom!
Monday, September 12, 2011
quotes:
Phillip: Don't worry. I am not a zombie.
--
(reading a story where a dog gets a bath)
Phillip: Shag is in the hot tub, relaxing
--
Eddie: Hey, when we have our ice cream float party, can you bring pop rocks to put on top?
Me: What?
Nick: Do you know how to make a bomb?
Me: what what!?
--
(reading a story where a dog gets a bath)
Phillip: Shag is in the hot tub, relaxing
--
Eddie: Hey, when we have our ice cream float party, can you bring pop rocks to put on top?
Me: What?
Nick: Do you know how to make a bomb?
Me: what what!?
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