note: This is one of those things that have been passed around, particularly by special educators. It was written by the parent of a special needs child, author unknown. But, I think it's such a good analogy for the journey of special parenting, that I think it's worth posting here.
A Trip To Holland-Author Unknown
The experience of raising a child with a disability
When you are going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks, learn some handy Italian phrases and make wonderful plans. It's all very exciting. After several months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The flight attendant says, "Welcome to Holland." "Holland?" you say. "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy." But there has been a change in the flight plan. They have landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, filthy place full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It's just a different place. So you go out and buy new guidebooks and you must learn a whole new language and you will meet a whole new group of people you would have never met. It is just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But, after you have been there for a while, and you catch your breath, you look around. You begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Rebrandts and tulips. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that experience will never, ever go away. The loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you did not get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
hand in pencil
Monday, June 11, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
a horse is a horse, of course, of course....
unless your name is "Ed" and you're just a horse's ass.
i worked with a real idjut yesterday. i was subbing at one of the middle schools...7th and 8th grade, Special Education class. my first period i did inclusion with another sub, whose name was Ed. i'm sure he had a last name, but he never introduced himself to me, even when i intro'd myself. someone told me what his first name was later. so he greets me at the door, i explain who i am and who i'm subbing for. he shows me the lesson plans, mumbling the whole time bout "not wanting to glue and cut and paste" and announces we're going to go with his alternative lesson plans. those entail watching the original movie version of "Hercules". yeah. that really matches the lesson plans of rotating groups, one of which reads to themselves, the other works on the computer reading program, and the third works with the teacher on a poem created by cutting out words and phrases from the newspaper and gluing them (gluesticks not liquid glue, btw) on paper. how tough can THAT be???? not very, really. i tried to explain the process to Ed. but he cut me off. he just would NOT listen.
but, Ed couldnt get the VCR working, so he had to go ask for help. well somewhere along the way, someone told the office that he was watching a movie because the teacher hadn't left lesson plans. the teacher was in the building in a meeting. she came FLYING into the classroom, threw a box across the room, and demanded to know why we weren't following her lesson plans. i just raised my eyebrows and mouthed, "He's an idiot" yeah, so not professional, but whatever. she'd just thrown a box at the man, and he was stuttering his stupid excuse for watching a movie. the teacher leaves after her hissy fit, which included turning off the TV and shoving the lesson plans in his face. he looks at me, still sputtering. one of the kids made a smart comment bout the whole thing. i said, "as clever and amusing as that was, it's not appropriate. ok, everybody go to their rotations." and in five minutes, the class was doing what they were supposed to be doing. Ed looks at me and says, "You didn't tell me you knew what we were supposed to do." "Well, I tried. But, this is your classroom, and I'm the inclusion teacher. I'm not going to override you in your own classroom." "WHY DIDNT YOU SAY ANYTHING???" i was SO proud of myself, i did NOT raise my voice. instead, i said, "I tried to tell you, but you cut me off."
now, part of me had felt sorry for Ed. until he tried to blame me. and furthermore, he never thanked me for getting his class back on track. then, we ran into one another at lunch, and he told me that the rest of his classes weren't as good as the first class. and they just didn't "get the assignment". he went on to say that Hercules would have been a lot more useful than what they were doing. turns out that his movie, and he takes it with him, so that when he doesnt like the lesson plans, he can use that as his "alternative". sheeesh. you, Ed, are what give substitutes a lousy name.
and, yes, i know that working with idiots is inevitable. but i do NOT have to like it. :)
i worked with a real idjut yesterday. i was subbing at one of the middle schools...7th and 8th grade, Special Education class. my first period i did inclusion with another sub, whose name was Ed. i'm sure he had a last name, but he never introduced himself to me, even when i intro'd myself. someone told me what his first name was later. so he greets me at the door, i explain who i am and who i'm subbing for. he shows me the lesson plans, mumbling the whole time bout "not wanting to glue and cut and paste" and announces we're going to go with his alternative lesson plans. those entail watching the original movie version of "Hercules". yeah. that really matches the lesson plans of rotating groups, one of which reads to themselves, the other works on the computer reading program, and the third works with the teacher on a poem created by cutting out words and phrases from the newspaper and gluing them (gluesticks not liquid glue, btw) on paper. how tough can THAT be???? not very, really. i tried to explain the process to Ed. but he cut me off. he just would NOT listen.
but, Ed couldnt get the VCR working, so he had to go ask for help. well somewhere along the way, someone told the office that he was watching a movie because the teacher hadn't left lesson plans. the teacher was in the building in a meeting. she came FLYING into the classroom, threw a box across the room, and demanded to know why we weren't following her lesson plans. i just raised my eyebrows and mouthed, "He's an idiot" yeah, so not professional, but whatever. she'd just thrown a box at the man, and he was stuttering his stupid excuse for watching a movie. the teacher leaves after her hissy fit, which included turning off the TV and shoving the lesson plans in his face. he looks at me, still sputtering. one of the kids made a smart comment bout the whole thing. i said, "as clever and amusing as that was, it's not appropriate. ok, everybody go to their rotations." and in five minutes, the class was doing what they were supposed to be doing. Ed looks at me and says, "You didn't tell me you knew what we were supposed to do." "Well, I tried. But, this is your classroom, and I'm the inclusion teacher. I'm not going to override you in your own classroom." "WHY DIDNT YOU SAY ANYTHING???" i was SO proud of myself, i did NOT raise my voice. instead, i said, "I tried to tell you, but you cut me off."
now, part of me had felt sorry for Ed. until he tried to blame me. and furthermore, he never thanked me for getting his class back on track. then, we ran into one another at lunch, and he told me that the rest of his classes weren't as good as the first class. and they just didn't "get the assignment". he went on to say that Hercules would have been a lot more useful than what they were doing. turns out that his movie, and he takes it with him, so that when he doesnt like the lesson plans, he can use that as his "alternative". sheeesh. you, Ed, are what give substitutes a lousy name.
and, yes, i know that working with idiots is inevitable. but i do NOT have to like it. :)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
eight days a week...........
okay, so its been eleven since i've posted. my brain has definitely fried. i'm in one of those funky places in life where i've got so much going on, i can't decide where to start unraveling the knot, so nothings getting accomplished, which is putting me in a blue funk. arggggg. hate that. but, anyhoo, here's some of what's been going on in Sub World lol:
last week i was in one of our poorer buildings; i believe i've referred to it before. all students there are on free lunches. free lunches are determined by income levels. most of our buildings average about 15% free lunches, and another 10% on reduced lunches. have i mentioned that i live in an economically challenged area??? we used to be a booming area, til our industrial base moved out. we have pretty high unemployment right now. the building i was in is predominately hispanic-latino. out of twenty students in my class, fifteen were hispanic-latino, three were african-american, and two were caucasian.
at recess, the girls were discussing their hair (one had elaborate finger-waves, the other had intricate braids, and the rest had clean, well-kempt hair that included fancy barretts and hair doodles) i was standing just outside the conversation, so they ended up including me. i told them that i'd once had finger-curls, for a fancy-dress murder-mystery party. they were laughing at that, and talking about my hair, and how pretty it was. the one reaches up to my temple (where i have a LOT of grey) and says...."Miz C, you gonna dye this soon? coz you'd be real pretty if you got rid of the ick." *SNORT* you've gotta love kids that say exactly whats on their mind, really. and she realized that that might've been rude, so she said, "I didnt mean nothing by it, I just think you'd be real pretty if you don't look so old" ROFL....keep going, honey, that hole you're digging just isn't deep enough yet. i had to laugh, though, because i KNEW that she meant no harm. those girls take their hair SERIOUSLY and they were just giving me lil tips yanno. not really what i normally expect from fifth graders, but, what the heck......made me feel like one of the girls. ;)
last week i was in one of our poorer buildings; i believe i've referred to it before. all students there are on free lunches. free lunches are determined by income levels. most of our buildings average about 15% free lunches, and another 10% on reduced lunches. have i mentioned that i live in an economically challenged area??? we used to be a booming area, til our industrial base moved out. we have pretty high unemployment right now. the building i was in is predominately hispanic-latino. out of twenty students in my class, fifteen were hispanic-latino, three were african-american, and two were caucasian.
at recess, the girls were discussing their hair (one had elaborate finger-waves, the other had intricate braids, and the rest had clean, well-kempt hair that included fancy barretts and hair doodles) i was standing just outside the conversation, so they ended up including me. i told them that i'd once had finger-curls, for a fancy-dress murder-mystery party. they were laughing at that, and talking about my hair, and how pretty it was. the one reaches up to my temple (where i have a LOT of grey) and says...."Miz C, you gonna dye this soon? coz you'd be real pretty if you got rid of the ick." *SNORT* you've gotta love kids that say exactly whats on their mind, really. and she realized that that might've been rude, so she said, "I didnt mean nothing by it, I just think you'd be real pretty if you don't look so old" ROFL....keep going, honey, that hole you're digging just isn't deep enough yet. i had to laugh, though, because i KNEW that she meant no harm. those girls take their hair SERIOUSLY and they were just giving me lil tips yanno. not really what i normally expect from fifth graders, but, what the heck......made me feel like one of the girls. ;)
Friday, May 18, 2007
free and easy
ok, so today wasn't as much fun as yesterday. it was one of those days where i nearly felt guilty for getting paid, the day was soooo easy. i was once again covering teachers while they went to IEP and/or retention meetings. but the way the meetings worked out, the teachers weren't gone as long as scheduled, so we'd end up being in the room together. and of course, between music class, lunch, recess, and special activities, i didn't really have any teaching to do. of course, it balances out the days that i should get hazard pay...like when small children goose me during Circle Time lol.
and, one of the teachers gave me a certificate for a FREE credit hour to my uni! YAY!!!!! teachers get these certificates worth credit hours at the university or college of their student teachers. then, they turn around and sell them for cash. this teacher only had one credit hour, and hadn't been able to sell it, so she GAVE it to me. folks, that's about $500 worth of freebie. i just couldn't believe it. i kept asking if she was sure, and offering to pay her for it. wow. nothing like the kindness of strangers. i'm still flabbergasted. (i'd never met this teacher before in my life! we're in the same field, and were discussing my uni, and she just offered it to me!!!!) and, extremely grateful. wow.
and, one of the teachers gave me a certificate for a FREE credit hour to my uni! YAY!!!!! teachers get these certificates worth credit hours at the university or college of their student teachers. then, they turn around and sell them for cash. this teacher only had one credit hour, and hadn't been able to sell it, so she GAVE it to me. folks, that's about $500 worth of freebie. i just couldn't believe it. i kept asking if she was sure, and offering to pay her for it. wow. nothing like the kindness of strangers. i'm still flabbergasted. (i'd never met this teacher before in my life! we're in the same field, and were discussing my uni, and she just offered it to me!!!!) and, extremely grateful. wow.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
oh bite me
i took yesterday off, so that i could attend my son's senior project. he's graduating next week from our JVS (joint vocational school) in the Culinary Arts program. he'll be attending a local culinary school for college. yesterday, the seniors ran their restaurant. they picked a medieval menu. the food was ok, but i've been to several of their monthly Cafe's and, frankly, this wasn't their best effort. but it was Em's last Cafe in high school, so of course i had to be there.
today, tho, i was a floating sub in one of our preschool programs. i went from room to room to cover for the teachers while they attended IEP meetings. (individualized education plans/programs) i haven't taught preschool since mine were IN preschool, and my youngest is sixteen. do the math. lol. but, i really was just the warm body. each room has an ed assistant, and so i was just the warm body filling the legal requirement of a cert person in the room.
in the first room, there were two little guys who need an extra hand because they're very active. the one has only been at the school a week. and boy, is he cute, cute, cute...but he twists, turns, spins, rolls...constantly on the move. and sings. the entire time. so i was sitting on the carpet w/ him during Circle Time. he'd stand, i'd help him sit. he'd lean forwar to somersault, i'd gently pull him back. during one of our little gymnastic episodes, he put his mouth on my arm and bit. i flinched enough that he didnt break the skin. now, he wasnt doing it to be hateful. he's three, and is undiagnosed, but shows several symptoms of autism. while i was discouraging the biting, he managed to slip his hand under my skirt, and put his pudgy lil hand on the inside of my thigh.....and pinch. hard. of course, i yelped. and about flew off the carpet. then, i looked down, and he's lying with his head on my lap and looking up at me like i'm the best thing since sprinkles on his icecream. the lil flirt. i fell in love right then and there. and burst into giggles. i mean, when was the last time a three year old GOOSED you??? LOL
i might be totally twisted, but that was just a good day. i love the lil special ones. they just get me right by the heart, and don't let go. and, i get to do it again tomorrow! but, in a dif school. i hope its as much fun.........
today, tho, i was a floating sub in one of our preschool programs. i went from room to room to cover for the teachers while they attended IEP meetings. (individualized education plans/programs) i haven't taught preschool since mine were IN preschool, and my youngest is sixteen. do the math. lol. but, i really was just the warm body. each room has an ed assistant, and so i was just the warm body filling the legal requirement of a cert person in the room.
in the first room, there were two little guys who need an extra hand because they're very active. the one has only been at the school a week. and boy, is he cute, cute, cute...but he twists, turns, spins, rolls...constantly on the move. and sings. the entire time. so i was sitting on the carpet w/ him during Circle Time. he'd stand, i'd help him sit. he'd lean forwar to somersault, i'd gently pull him back. during one of our little gymnastic episodes, he put his mouth on my arm and bit. i flinched enough that he didnt break the skin. now, he wasnt doing it to be hateful. he's three, and is undiagnosed, but shows several symptoms of autism. while i was discouraging the biting, he managed to slip his hand under my skirt, and put his pudgy lil hand on the inside of my thigh.....and pinch. hard. of course, i yelped. and about flew off the carpet. then, i looked down, and he's lying with his head on my lap and looking up at me like i'm the best thing since sprinkles on his icecream. the lil flirt. i fell in love right then and there. and burst into giggles. i mean, when was the last time a three year old GOOSED you??? LOL
i might be totally twisted, but that was just a good day. i love the lil special ones. they just get me right by the heart, and don't let go. and, i get to do it again tomorrow! but, in a dif school. i hope its as much fun.........
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
to my teacher
this is a poem i wrote a few weeks ago, after working in another special ed room. a small boy in the room was isolated, because of behavioral issues. he wrote a letter to his teacher at the end of the day, as part of an assignment. the letter was a series of letters written right next to one another, no separations, no real words, no punctuation. it broke my heart. here's the poem:
to my teacher
written
in scrawling
sprawling
capital letters
big
and uneven
acrossthepage
a letter
allruntogether
nospacing
becauseidontknow
to leave space
toseparatethewords
like me
apart
and different
separate
and separated
distinguished
andindistinguishable
thewordsruntogether
blurred
by the tears in my teacher's eyes
to my teacher
written
in scrawling
sprawling
capital letters
big
and uneven
acrossthepage
a letter
allruntogether
nospacing
becauseidontknow
to leave space
toseparatethewords
like me
apart
and different
separate
and separated
distinguished
andindistinguishable
thewordsruntogether
blurred
by the tears in my teacher's eyes
call me Ed
today, i was in one of the Special Ed rooms in one of my district's two middle schools. these are seventh and eighth graders. the kids i had today range from moderate- to low-functioning CD (cognitively disabled) now, if you're not familiar with the concept, here's my POV: most of these kids end up in these classes because they just don't fit in other classes or groups. one of the things i've realized, working with these kids is that no matter who you are, you deserve respect. you deserve consideration. you have the right to your dignity.
i'm not going to claim that i'm the best substitute teacher ever, but once again, today, i listened to the story of a substitute teacher, one these kids had a few weeks ago in another class, who has no business even teaching, let along teaching these kids.
i don't care who you are, what your IQ is, what your economic status is.........you deserve to be treated like a human being. you don't deserve derision, or sarcasm, or a snotty attitude. and you certainly don't deserve it from your teacher.
the kids in the classroom i was teaching today are at considerable risk for dropping out of school and at best, becoming drains on society and at worst, becoming career criminals. statistics show us that students who are in these classes and in the Behavioral Disorders classes have an 85% chance of having a felony conviction before they are 21 years old.
so, maybe, by teaching these kids today that not all substitute teachers are ignorant morons who tease and taunt them; by giving them some of the drawings i made on my break and during lunch; by talking to them like they're humans.........maybe i made them think that school isn't such a bad place.
today, i once again thought to myself, yeah, i'm where i'm supposed to be. i AM a Speical Ed teacher.
so, because i'm sooooo SPECIAL, you can call me "Ed" hee hee
i'm not going to claim that i'm the best substitute teacher ever, but once again, today, i listened to the story of a substitute teacher, one these kids had a few weeks ago in another class, who has no business even teaching, let along teaching these kids.
i don't care who you are, what your IQ is, what your economic status is.........you deserve to be treated like a human being. you don't deserve derision, or sarcasm, or a snotty attitude. and you certainly don't deserve it from your teacher.
the kids in the classroom i was teaching today are at considerable risk for dropping out of school and at best, becoming drains on society and at worst, becoming career criminals. statistics show us that students who are in these classes and in the Behavioral Disorders classes have an 85% chance of having a felony conviction before they are 21 years old.
so, maybe, by teaching these kids today that not all substitute teachers are ignorant morons who tease and taunt them; by giving them some of the drawings i made on my break and during lunch; by talking to them like they're humans.........maybe i made them think that school isn't such a bad place.
today, i once again thought to myself, yeah, i'm where i'm supposed to be. i AM a Speical Ed teacher.
so, because i'm sooooo SPECIAL, you can call me "Ed" hee hee
Monday, May 14, 2007
sure, they're cute and all......
i subbed in a kindergarten room today. sure, they're cute and all, but there's nineteen of them...and one of me. but let me tell you some of the things i love about kindergarteners:
some of the things i don't love about kidnergarteners:
having said all that, it was a good day. i couldn't quite figure out the teacher's lesson plans at first. turns out, i'm an idiot. she had everything in a basket for me, and had i just gone through it a little more carefully, i would have had the "patterning our pets" worksheet. but i didn't, so we did the letter "Q" in the morning, and "patterning our pets" in the afternoon. i'm pretty sure it didn't scar any of them for life. :)
the downside to this assignment? there were several teachers out today with a nasty stomach virus. apparently, they were the last to succumb.....everyone else in the building had already had it last week. my chances of having caught the bug are pretty high. gee, and all that just so i can earn my piddly daily wage???? add that to the list of benes, really. lol.
- the more mom-ish you look, the prettier they think you are.
- they don't really care where you bought your clothes; its more important that you don't fuss at them when they put their grubby little hands on you.
- they don't realize that you're smart because you have the teacher's maual...they think it's all you.
- they've not been taught yet that its not okay for boys to hold boys' hands and girls to hold girls' hands....they're just friends, and that's what friends do, after all.
- you really never have to wonder what's on their minds; they're usually pretty willing to tell you. and usually at the top of their little lungs. :)
- give them an open space to run and play, and they're really very happy.
some of the things i don't love about kidnergarteners:
- not all of them have quite mastered the technique of blowing their noses. they prefer picking them. and wiping it somewhere. just before you put your hand there.
- many of their sentences, especially to a substitute teacher begin with, "you're sposed to.........."
- they can love you and hate you all within about two minutes, and sometimes forget to tell you which it is.
- no matter how often you suggest they should use the bathroom, the minute you get outside, or on a bus, or in line for the bus, they realize they "have to goooooo"
having said all that, it was a good day. i couldn't quite figure out the teacher's lesson plans at first. turns out, i'm an idiot. she had everything in a basket for me, and had i just gone through it a little more carefully, i would have had the "patterning our pets" worksheet. but i didn't, so we did the letter "Q" in the morning, and "patterning our pets" in the afternoon. i'm pretty sure it didn't scar any of them for life. :)
the downside to this assignment? there were several teachers out today with a nasty stomach virus. apparently, they were the last to succumb.....everyone else in the building had already had it last week. my chances of having caught the bug are pretty high. gee, and all that just so i can earn my piddly daily wage???? add that to the list of benes, really. lol.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Monday, Monday...can't trust that day......
Monday found me in the Emotionally Disturbed (ED) room of one of my district's poorer schools. Every child in the school qualifies for free breakfasts and lunches. That is a poor school.
I've been in the school many times, and in this room several times before. But since I've been there a couple of months ago, they'd gotten a couple of new students, transfers in from other programs in the school.
Now, before I go into all my deets about the day, let me say this: Its a tough room, no doubt. I come home tired, def. BUT I also find the kids, at least most of them, very endearing. And heart-rending. Between the poverty level, and the emotional and behavioral issues, these kids are signed on as statistics. They're gonna be headlines if we don't help them get what they need.
And I'm not sure how well we're doing, really.
I've got stories..........I'd love to tell you all about the kids, both the funny and the heartrending. But I'm too tired right now. Tomorrow........tomorrow I'll tell you all about how sweet, and sad, and wonderful, and horrible it all was..............
I've been in the school many times, and in this room several times before. But since I've been there a couple of months ago, they'd gotten a couple of new students, transfers in from other programs in the school.
Now, before I go into all my deets about the day, let me say this: Its a tough room, no doubt. I come home tired, def. BUT I also find the kids, at least most of them, very endearing. And heart-rending. Between the poverty level, and the emotional and behavioral issues, these kids are signed on as statistics. They're gonna be headlines if we don't help them get what they need.
And I'm not sure how well we're doing, really.
I've got stories..........I'd love to tell you all about the kids, both the funny and the heartrending. But I'm too tired right now. Tomorrow........tomorrow I'll tell you all about how sweet, and sad, and wonderful, and horrible it all was..............
helluva week
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday I taught in an ED room (Emotionally Disturbed) in one of our poorer schools. I've been in this room several times before. I spent a week there a couple of months ago. I've gotta tell you, that if there is one thing that can make me feel incompetent, it would be working in this classroom. There aren't that many children, maybe seven at the most, at any given time. But they have so many issues. And they're all different. One of the biggest problems is that I don't know them well enough to know what their flashpoints are. I'm quieter and more reserved in this room. I'm also more laid back, taking my cues from the Educational Assistant. The problem with that is, I get a serious "You're a freaking idiot" vibe from her. Maybe I'm wrong. I must be wrong. Because I'm told that she's very complimentary about me. I keep getting asked back, after all.
Yet, I feel as if she and I are working against one another. I don't know...mebbe I'm reading too much into things. But I feel as if I have to justify myself to her sometimes. She has a tendency to just walk over me. *sigh* Fortunately, my ego is pretty healthy; I don't have a need to do the whole "I am the teacher, you must listen to me" crap that I see other teaches and subs do. That is NOT me. but, please, if you work with me, give me some credit. I'm a reasonably intelligent person. I follow directions.......I can be taught. TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED ME TO DO! *banging head on desk. and please, quit freaking patronizing me. I'm doing my best. I've been working Spec. Ed a long time. This ain't my first big job. You must not think I'm too horrible: I keep coming back to your room.
But, that might be a case of "better the devil you know". *sigh* Oh, well.
Yet, I feel as if she and I are working against one another. I don't know...mebbe I'm reading too much into things. But I feel as if I have to justify myself to her sometimes. She has a tendency to just walk over me. *sigh* Fortunately, my ego is pretty healthy; I don't have a need to do the whole "I am the teacher, you must listen to me" crap that I see other teaches and subs do. That is NOT me. but, please, if you work with me, give me some credit. I'm a reasonably intelligent person. I follow directions.......I can be taught. TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED ME TO DO! *banging head on desk. and please, quit freaking patronizing me. I'm doing my best. I've been working Spec. Ed a long time. This ain't my first big job. You must not think I'm too horrible: I keep coming back to your room.
But, that might be a case of "better the devil you know". *sigh* Oh, well.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
and they're off............
the Derby yesterday was amazing! wow! i couldn't believe that Street Sense was able to come back from 19th place. and that jockey was hilarious. a lil cajun, i could barely understand what he was saying, but i still thought he was adorable. cute, cute, cute. and congratulations to him and his.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
okay, THAT was a new one......
i work for one district, but i sub in any/all of the schools. we tend to refer to them as buildings rather than schools, because they include the preschool, kindergarten center, alternative education opportunities, etc. about every other week i get a split day, where i start at either the freshman building or on of the junior highs and finish up at an elementary school. it means i get a long break, generally from 10:30 til i have to arrive at the school at noon. sounds great, doesnt it? the trade off is that i start at 7:00a and finish at 4p, so its a long day.
so today i started at the freshman building, in a Life Skills class. pretty much they put kids in Life Skills when they're just hoping to keep them occupied because they don't have any real interest in school. not my fave class, obviously. i used my long break to hit a little diner in town that i love. great greasy spoon breaky at 10:30 to tide me over. then, i went over to one of my fave elementaries and finished up the day. but today was a "free day" because they'd been testing all week, and the kids and teachers were all fried from the stress.
i hate free days.
let me just sum up the day by repeating something i'd never been told before: "you're not a teacher. you're a S.U.B. ......the REAL teacher will be back tomorrow." yeah. well, na na na na poo poo to you too. sheeeeesh. then, another kid comes up to me and says, "i don't know why everyone hates you. i think you're nice." uh huh. well, aren't you cute??? you're over here because......???? right, because no one in the class is talking to you because you're HATEFUL??? yeah, that's it.
so, it was just one of those days. i'm whipped. i'm gonna hit all my fave blogs and forums, climb into a hot bath and curl up with a trashy novel and fall asleep with the light on.......sounds heavenly.
so today i started at the freshman building, in a Life Skills class. pretty much they put kids in Life Skills when they're just hoping to keep them occupied because they don't have any real interest in school. not my fave class, obviously. i used my long break to hit a little diner in town that i love. great greasy spoon breaky at 10:30 to tide me over. then, i went over to one of my fave elementaries and finished up the day. but today was a "free day" because they'd been testing all week, and the kids and teachers were all fried from the stress.
i hate free days.
let me just sum up the day by repeating something i'd never been told before: "you're not a teacher. you're a S.U.B. ......the REAL teacher will be back tomorrow." yeah. well, na na na na poo poo to you too. sheeeeesh. then, another kid comes up to me and says, "i don't know why everyone hates you. i think you're nice." uh huh. well, aren't you cute??? you're over here because......???? right, because no one in the class is talking to you because you're HATEFUL??? yeah, that's it.
so, it was just one of those days. i'm whipped. i'm gonna hit all my fave blogs and forums, climb into a hot bath and curl up with a trashy novel and fall asleep with the light on.......sounds heavenly.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
time flies
WoW...it's TUESDAY!!! and i've not posted since SUNDAY!!!! The last few days have been wacko. Just so much going on. Kubota dropped the transmission. For those of you unfamiliar, its a brand of lawn mower...big and orange, lots of power and a nice wide mower deck. And not cheap to fix. I might have to sell the hubby's golf clubs........hee hee. That pretty much kicked Sunday in the ass, frankly. I was only one third of the way through mowing....which means by the time we get the stupid thing back from the shop, the grass'll be bout knee high. Wonder where I could get a couple of goats.....????
Yesterday was one of those days where I split my day between two schools. That meant that I was running into the building, nuking my lunch in the break room and inhaling it while the kids had their last couple of mins of recess. Grrrrrrrrrr. But hey, at least I worked that day. Most don't get to work during Test Week. I should consider myself lucky, and I do. I hate Test Week. Its long and boring and annoying and the kids are stressed. I spent yesterday and today administering tests to Special Ed kids. Have no idea yet what I'm doing tomorrow. I do know that I'm going to be early tonight....doing nothing exhausts me. :)
Yesterday was one of those days where I split my day between two schools. That meant that I was running into the building, nuking my lunch in the break room and inhaling it while the kids had their last couple of mins of recess. Grrrrrrrrrr. But hey, at least I worked that day. Most don't get to work during Test Week. I should consider myself lucky, and I do. I hate Test Week. Its long and boring and annoying and the kids are stressed. I spent yesterday and today administering tests to Special Ed kids. Have no idea yet what I'm doing tomorrow. I do know that I'm going to be early tonight....doing nothing exhausts me. :)
Saturday, April 28, 2007
you don't need to bother
occasionally i go braindead and can't think of a thing to post....yeah, it's a little like me being struck mute; doesn't happen often. i've just got things on my mind. nothing earth shattering, just stuff i'm still processing. i'll spill when i figure it out right in my brain. in the meantime, here are the lyrics to one of my fave songs, "Bother" by Stonesour. i'm not by any means a slipknot fan, but i dig on stonesour. corey taylor is HOT. yeah. that man's voice........mmmmhhhhmmmm. so, here are the lyrics. and if you've not heard it, pop over to yahoo and check out the vid. it's cool
BOTHER
Wish I was too dead to cry
My self-affliction fades
Stones to throw at my creator
Masochists to which I cater
You dont need to bother;
I dont need to be
Ill keep slipping farther
But once I hold on,
I wont let go til it bleeds
Wish I was too dead to care
If indeed I cared at all
Never had a voice to protest
So you fed me shit to digest
I wish I had a reason;
My flaws are open season
For this, I gave up trying
One good turn deserves my dying
You dont need to bother;
I dont need to be
Ill keep slipping farther
But once I hold on,
I wont let go til it bleeds
(solo: corey)
Wish Id died instead of lived
A zombie hides my face
Shell forgotten
With its memories
Diaries left
With cryptic entries
And you dont need to bother;
I dont need to be
Ill keep slipping farther
But once I hold on,
I wont let go til it bleeds
You dont need to bother;
I dont need to be
Ill keep slipping farther
But once I hold on
Ill never live down my deceit
Friday, April 27, 2007
yesterday seems like a dream.........
today.......today there was no time for boredom. i was at the mercy of eleven small people.....who had previously been reared by wolves. you would think that because i'm bigger and i know more, i'd be in charge. that's a serious fallacy perpetuated by the other adults so that you never realize how out of control they all really are. yesterday's boredom seems like some sort of faint, distant dream. fortunately, none of the children i had today had duct tape on them.......nor did i.....so, the day was successful. but, it reaffirms my suspicions: kindergarten is really a view of what hell on earth might be like, and really, it ain't for me.
for no particular reason, i'm going to post another one of my pics from yesterday's attempt to save my sanity from the boredom. this is my fat little hand. you'll be seeing a lot of it in the future. embrace it. adore it. admire it. be one with my hand.
for no particular reason, i'm going to post another one of my pics from yesterday's attempt to save my sanity from the boredom. this is my fat little hand. you'll be seeing a lot of it in the future. embrace it. adore it. admire it. be one with my hand.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
how bored can one person be????
pretty flippin bored, actually. i don't think i've got the words to describe how bored i was today. i was subbing in a CD (cognitively disabled) class today, in history/government. the kids were great, but they were watching "Saving Private Ryan" so i was pretty much just a warm body. and, i've never seen Private Ryan....just not my type of movie, and i don't really care much for Tom Hanks. today, i got to see the same forty-five minutes of the stupid movie.....four times. ack! and, i had a prep period and a free period during which i was supposed to be team teaching but the other teach sent me on my way because the kids were working on the computers today. so, the long and the short of it was that i had lots of time to fill. and i filled it the usual way......i drew. a lot. :) i won't bore you with all of them (there are several) but here are a few.............
the color didn't transfer so well on this one, but its still sorta cool.
i don't know why i'm into circles and ovals right now, but apparently i'm finding them soothing :) i guess there's a zen quality to them.
well, off to read some more.........and then, i'm gonna go to bed early tonight. all that inactivity wore me out.
Peace!
the color didn't transfer so well on this one, but its still sorta cool.
i don't know why i'm into circles and ovals right now, but apparently i'm finding them soothing :) i guess there's a zen quality to them.
well, off to read some more.........and then, i'm gonna go to bed early tonight. all that inactivity wore me out.
Peace!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
cake walk
i only worked half a day today. i spent the afternoon in a fourth grade classroom. i sub a lot in this building. i worked there for two years, in the Visual Impaired unit, so i know the teachers, the building, many of the students....but, i'd never subbed in this classroom before. the teach left a math packet, and i was confident that it would occupy them for the afternoon...... here i thought it was gonna be an easy afternoon..........hahaha.....no chance of that. lets review: during indoor recess (it was raining outside, of course) a girl, we'll call her Em, came up to me and showed me her wallet, and started to count the money in it. she got to forty, when i said to her, "Honey, you shouldnt have that kind of money here. Put it away before someone sees it. And don't tell anyone you have it." soon after, the kids switched rooms, and we started math. about half way through, one girl, we'll call her Sheila, came up to me and handed me a note she said she found on the floor. with her was a girl we'll call Kathy. I started to just put the note on the desk and not worry bout, til Sheila made a remark that made me take a look. the note said, "i love you so f*****g much, from ?" i sent them back to their desks, and headed across the hall to talk to the other 4th gr teacher. sigh. she told me what to do about the note: send them to the office with a referral and let the principal sort it out. i get back to the classroom, and line them up to go to computer lab. a girl comes up to me and says that she just checked her backpack and her wallet is missing, along with $80 her grandma gave her for her bday. i asked what the wallet looked like........yeah, you guessed it. same wallet. good news? sorting this shit out is NOT in my job description. :) i know, i'm a chicken but i just did NOT want to be the one who would figure out whose wallet it is, and who wrote the note.
so.....a day that i assumed would be cake turned out to be trying. as a result, i was exhausted, and bout goofy. i went to kickboxing looking like crap and feeling worse. i did beat the junk outta the bag tho. there's something very satisfying bout that sort of workout. i love the feeling of being hot and sweaty after a good workout. i had my protein shake, which i love, and came home to watch Lost. ( I LOVE THAT SHOW) my friends chm and blu and i conf on yim while we watch the show. we make predictions and smart ass comments......lots of fun. if you don't watch a show with a friend like that, try it some time. good times.
thats pretty much my day.....i'm going to read a bit before bed.
so.....a day that i assumed would be cake turned out to be trying. as a result, i was exhausted, and bout goofy. i went to kickboxing looking like crap and feeling worse. i did beat the junk outta the bag tho. there's something very satisfying bout that sort of workout. i love the feeling of being hot and sweaty after a good workout. i had my protein shake, which i love, and came home to watch Lost. ( I LOVE THAT SHOW) my friends chm and blu and i conf on yim while we watch the show. we make predictions and smart ass comments......lots of fun. if you don't watch a show with a friend like that, try it some time. good times.
thats pretty much my day.....i'm going to read a bit before bed.
another day in the salt mines
i'm running a day behind on my posts, so don't get confused that this says wednesday morning for post time but talks about Tuesday. eventually i'll get caught up........or not :)
yesterday was another one of those days where i had free time on my hands. study halls, prep times, my lunch. i worked on the project from hell that was due last night....sad that i was still finishing it tuesday morning. of course, i couldn't get the stupid thing to print at work, so i had to email it to myself, dash home, print the last section to finish it, and dash to class. i was late....of course.
but at work, my day went well, and i had time to draw. the kids (special education, moderate to intensive cognitive disabilities....so they were all mobile, but at seventh/eighth grade, they were all cognitively equivalent to first/second graders) were fun, and they LOVED my drawings. i was told they were "tight". one girl said it'd make a great tattoo. hee hee, i'll get right on that.
after work, as i said, i had to run home and print out the last section of the project: a resource book giving useful definitions and descriptions of the classifications of special ed, disabilities, and modifications/accomodations for those disabiliites. it wouldn't have been a bad project, except that first, i procrastinated and did it pretty much sunday night. and second, i would've started earlier, but i began working on the wrong project. i have the same assignment for both of my classes, but with different topics required for each manual. here i was sunday working on the binder for my other class, only to realize its not due for two more weeks and i hadn't even begun the one that was due Tues. it turned out to be relatively simple. the prof had pretty much spoonfed us the info, so that all i had to do was cut and paste and format the info to what i wanted.
i made the 45 min drive to school, went to both of my classes, and made the return trip. i was tired by the time i got home at 9:45 last night. it makes for a LONG day, going to two classes back to back like that. the alternative tho, is to kill two different days. i'm not sure which is worse, really.
it was a good day....just another day in the salt mines, but uneventful for the most part. i like those days..............
yesterday was another one of those days where i had free time on my hands. study halls, prep times, my lunch. i worked on the project from hell that was due last night....sad that i was still finishing it tuesday morning. of course, i couldn't get the stupid thing to print at work, so i had to email it to myself, dash home, print the last section to finish it, and dash to class. i was late....of course.
but at work, my day went well, and i had time to draw. the kids (special education, moderate to intensive cognitive disabilities....so they were all mobile, but at seventh/eighth grade, they were all cognitively equivalent to first/second graders) were fun, and they LOVED my drawings. i was told they were "tight". one girl said it'd make a great tattoo. hee hee, i'll get right on that.
after work, as i said, i had to run home and print out the last section of the project: a resource book giving useful definitions and descriptions of the classifications of special ed, disabilities, and modifications/accomodations for those disabiliites. it wouldn't have been a bad project, except that first, i procrastinated and did it pretty much sunday night. and second, i would've started earlier, but i began working on the wrong project. i have the same assignment for both of my classes, but with different topics required for each manual. here i was sunday working on the binder for my other class, only to realize its not due for two more weeks and i hadn't even begun the one that was due Tues. it turned out to be relatively simple. the prof had pretty much spoonfed us the info, so that all i had to do was cut and paste and format the info to what i wanted.
i made the 45 min drive to school, went to both of my classes, and made the return trip. i was tired by the time i got home at 9:45 last night. it makes for a LONG day, going to two classes back to back like that. the alternative tho, is to kill two different days. i'm not sure which is worse, really.
it was a good day....just another day in the salt mines, but uneventful for the most part. i like those days..............
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
a day in the life...........
.....of ME!!!!
A friend of mine suggested that I blog about my day, from start to finish. I think it might be summed up in one word: YAWN. hee hee. but, wth, here it goes........in painful detail, a day in the life of me.
5:30a......the alarm goes off.....i roll over and totally ignore the stupid thing.....alarm....smack...repeat.....alarm.....smack.......repeat.......alarm.........all right already!
5:45a......make my first attempt at waking the teen daughter, Princess Ann, toddle out to the sofa, and crash, pulling the throw blanket over my head. hubby makes coffee and takes a turn trying to wake the Princess (a totally sarcastic nickname for a rocker chick....but she can be one)
6:00a.....pry the second eye open and pour the first cuppa, heavy on the cream........yell down the hall to Princess to see if she's bothered to get up and get ready for school
6:20a.....leave with the teen daughter, and pick up my niece....head them off to school. drop them off,(because i'm a loving, nurturing mom, i send them off with "get the hell outta the car and have a nice day!") turn round and head back home
7:00a.....get home, wake the second kid up, the teen boy. Moose is a senior, and counting the days til graduation. he's 6'1", 230 lbs of male, and can be a total pain in the ass, especially in the morning......he hates to get up...none of us are really morning people...well, hubby is, but he's the odd man out, and the rest of us ignore him. as the teen son is getting ready, i'm getting dressed for work.
7:30.....it's never a good sign when your boss calls you, and starts the convo with a nervous laugh, and "i'm gonna really owe you one......" grrrrrrrrrr. i'm a substitute teacher, so i go wherever they send me. i work for a relatively large urban district. we have thirteen elementary buildings, including the kindergarten center, two junior highs, a freshman school, and the senior high. so far, i've been to all but three of our buildings. that's about to change, apparently, because i'm subbing for an art teacher who splits her time between the kindergarten center and one of the elementaries. i've never been to either of them before today.
7:40a.....leave the house with Moose(aka Em...depending on our mood and his general disposition), drop him off at the JVS. he's a culinary arts major at the local joint vocational school, which isn't far from the house. i have some time before i have to be at work, because today, i'm teaching at the kindergarten center in the morning, and one of the elementary schools in the afternoon. since i've got some time, i'm going to head to my mother's and have another cup of coffee. my sis is usually there, and we get to visit for about twenty minutes before i have to head to work.
8:45.......i'm running late....this is my first time in this building, and i don't know what the routine is, or if i'll have morning duty, but i couldn't find the stupid school. my boss gave me directions, but instead of writing them down i tried to rely on my lousy memory. bad plan. and, the part of town i was in was all one way streets going the wrong way, and crazy roads that dead end at one street, only to start up again three blocks later. arggggg! here's my directional tip tho: if you can see the funky neon yellow "school crossing" signs, you're within a couple of blocks of the school. and if worst comes to worst, ask the crossing guard. :) i've had to do that a couple of times when going to a building for the first time.
good news! the students don't even get there til 9: 15 and my first class isn't until 9:30. WHEW! bad news: there are no lesson plans and i'm faced with the prospect of amusing 4 classes of kindergartners for half an hour each, without letting chaos reign. huh. well, there are ALWAYS crayons. :) fortunately, the art teacher i'm subbing for has called in and suggested that because the kids went on a field trip to the zoo Friday, we might want to draw pictures of their favorite animal from their visit. GOOD IDEA!
i spoke to the teachers whose classes i would be having, just introducing myself to them in the hallway, and checking on what i needed to bring with me to class. when i walked into the second classroom, i discovered that the teacher had explained that they were having a sub and that she had spoken to me already. she must have given me a resounding endorsement, because as i walked in, one little boy said, "She IS pretty!!!!" yes, darling little boy, you are now my favorite. help yourself to candy. LOL. the art classes went well, everyone drawing their pictures of an animal they saw from the zoo. of course, one little boy drew a gas tanker GOING to the zoo. i reminded him that he was to draw his favorite animal. he drew monkeys climbing on the tanker. close enough. and one little girl pouted because she wanted to draw a horse, NOT an animal at the zoo. i suggest she draw a zebra because it was a striped horse. she decided zebras were stupid. i reminded her of the directions and walked away. she drew a zebra. :) of course, while i was in the integrated classroom (that is one that has many students with special needs, but also has typical, or regular education, students) we had a fire drill, followed by a tornado drill. :) glad i wasn't alone in the room. a couple of the teachers and aides were still in there. WHEW! i can't imagine having to direct 23 students of varying physical and cognitive levels on a fire drill in a strange school by myself. YIKES!
11:30 i've survived the kinders and they've survived me. time to have lunch (i treated myself to Burger King....horrible for me, all sorts of fat and calories, but boy are Whoppers nummy) and then checked in with the teacher for whom i was subbing. she wanted to discuss what i was going to do at the elementary school in the afternoon. we decided that since it was April, i'd have the kids do pictures of "April showers bring May flowers". when in doubt, fall back on a seasonal theme.
12:40 lost again. yanno, two new buildings in one day is a little much for anyone. and they aren't far apart....you just can't get there from here. so, i drove round the neighborhood looking for the street that was actually going in the right direction. i ran into the school, getting funny looks as i make a mad dash for the office. and of course, there's only one person in the office, and a hundred things going on. luckily, another teacher takes pity on me and walks me to the art room. good thing, coz in this rabbit warren, i'd never find it on my own. i left a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back to the office at the end of the day.
usually, i have my briefcase with me, and during prep times or lunch, i work on something for school. i'm in grad school, earning my licensure and masters in special ed, moderate to intensive disabilities. but i didn't think i'd have any downtime today, so i didn't bring my books. when i'm bored, i write or i draw. during my prep today, i got some colored pencils out and started doodling. as the kids were working on their pictures, once the class settled in, i kept doodling. the kids were fascinated by my drawing. i love little kids and their commentaries and compliments, "You're a GREAT drawer!" thanks! you're my new favorite! lol. the day went well, and i zipped off to grab Princess from track practice and head home to work on the project that is due on Tuesday for school. and here's what i created in school today:
Evening: Mondays and Wednesdays, i do cardio kickboxing at the local Y. it's taught by my besty, Karen. i've been doing it for about three years now, and its an awesome form of exercise. we lift weights first (shoulders, back and chest), then have class, then we lift for legs after class...tho i can often talk Karen out of legs :) Monday is also Heroes. it's one of only two shows, the other being Lost, that i watch with any regularity. its not that i don't like TV...its just that i've gotten out of the habit of watching it. i used to have to fight the family for the TV, and between school and kids activities, i always seemed to miss the shows that i liked. but now the kids are older, they have TVs in their rooms and one in the family room, so Monday hubby and i watch Heroes and Wednesday the world stops while i drool over Jack, Sawyer, Sawyer, and Desmond on their island.
so, that is the day in the life of ME! i doubt i'll be that detailed from now on. i'll try to just comment on the fun, the cool, or the crazy. but this first day deserved to be detailed (even if it is being written on Tuesday instead of Monday :) )
A friend of mine suggested that I blog about my day, from start to finish. I think it might be summed up in one word: YAWN. hee hee. but, wth, here it goes........in painful detail, a day in the life of me.
5:30a......the alarm goes off.....i roll over and totally ignore the stupid thing.....alarm....smack...repeat.....alarm.....smack.......repeat.......alarm.........all right already!
5:45a......make my first attempt at waking the teen daughter, Princess Ann, toddle out to the sofa, and crash, pulling the throw blanket over my head. hubby makes coffee and takes a turn trying to wake the Princess (a totally sarcastic nickname for a rocker chick....but she can be one)
6:00a.....pry the second eye open and pour the first cuppa, heavy on the cream........yell down the hall to Princess to see if she's bothered to get up and get ready for school
6:20a.....leave with the teen daughter, and pick up my niece....head them off to school. drop them off,(because i'm a loving, nurturing mom, i send them off with "get the hell outta the car and have a nice day!") turn round and head back home
7:00a.....get home, wake the second kid up, the teen boy. Moose is a senior, and counting the days til graduation. he's 6'1", 230 lbs of male, and can be a total pain in the ass, especially in the morning......he hates to get up...none of us are really morning people...well, hubby is, but he's the odd man out, and the rest of us ignore him. as the teen son is getting ready, i'm getting dressed for work.
7:30.....it's never a good sign when your boss calls you, and starts the convo with a nervous laugh, and "i'm gonna really owe you one......" grrrrrrrrrr. i'm a substitute teacher, so i go wherever they send me. i work for a relatively large urban district. we have thirteen elementary buildings, including the kindergarten center, two junior highs, a freshman school, and the senior high. so far, i've been to all but three of our buildings. that's about to change, apparently, because i'm subbing for an art teacher who splits her time between the kindergarten center and one of the elementaries. i've never been to either of them before today.
7:40a.....leave the house with Moose(aka Em...depending on our mood and his general disposition), drop him off at the JVS. he's a culinary arts major at the local joint vocational school, which isn't far from the house. i have some time before i have to be at work, because today, i'm teaching at the kindergarten center in the morning, and one of the elementary schools in the afternoon. since i've got some time, i'm going to head to my mother's and have another cup of coffee. my sis is usually there, and we get to visit for about twenty minutes before i have to head to work.
8:45.......i'm running late....this is my first time in this building, and i don't know what the routine is, or if i'll have morning duty, but i couldn't find the stupid school. my boss gave me directions, but instead of writing them down i tried to rely on my lousy memory. bad plan. and, the part of town i was in was all one way streets going the wrong way, and crazy roads that dead end at one street, only to start up again three blocks later. arggggg! here's my directional tip tho: if you can see the funky neon yellow "school crossing" signs, you're within a couple of blocks of the school. and if worst comes to worst, ask the crossing guard. :) i've had to do that a couple of times when going to a building for the first time.
good news! the students don't even get there til 9: 15 and my first class isn't until 9:30. WHEW! bad news: there are no lesson plans and i'm faced with the prospect of amusing 4 classes of kindergartners for half an hour each, without letting chaos reign. huh. well, there are ALWAYS crayons. :) fortunately, the art teacher i'm subbing for has called in and suggested that because the kids went on a field trip to the zoo Friday, we might want to draw pictures of their favorite animal from their visit. GOOD IDEA!
i spoke to the teachers whose classes i would be having, just introducing myself to them in the hallway, and checking on what i needed to bring with me to class. when i walked into the second classroom, i discovered that the teacher had explained that they were having a sub and that she had spoken to me already. she must have given me a resounding endorsement, because as i walked in, one little boy said, "She IS pretty!!!!" yes, darling little boy, you are now my favorite. help yourself to candy. LOL. the art classes went well, everyone drawing their pictures of an animal they saw from the zoo. of course, one little boy drew a gas tanker GOING to the zoo. i reminded him that he was to draw his favorite animal. he drew monkeys climbing on the tanker. close enough. and one little girl pouted because she wanted to draw a horse, NOT an animal at the zoo. i suggest she draw a zebra because it was a striped horse. she decided zebras were stupid. i reminded her of the directions and walked away. she drew a zebra. :) of course, while i was in the integrated classroom (that is one that has many students with special needs, but also has typical, or regular education, students) we had a fire drill, followed by a tornado drill. :) glad i wasn't alone in the room. a couple of the teachers and aides were still in there. WHEW! i can't imagine having to direct 23 students of varying physical and cognitive levels on a fire drill in a strange school by myself. YIKES!
11:30 i've survived the kinders and they've survived me. time to have lunch (i treated myself to Burger King....horrible for me, all sorts of fat and calories, but boy are Whoppers nummy) and then checked in with the teacher for whom i was subbing. she wanted to discuss what i was going to do at the elementary school in the afternoon. we decided that since it was April, i'd have the kids do pictures of "April showers bring May flowers". when in doubt, fall back on a seasonal theme.
12:40 lost again. yanno, two new buildings in one day is a little much for anyone. and they aren't far apart....you just can't get there from here. so, i drove round the neighborhood looking for the street that was actually going in the right direction. i ran into the school, getting funny looks as i make a mad dash for the office. and of course, there's only one person in the office, and a hundred things going on. luckily, another teacher takes pity on me and walks me to the art room. good thing, coz in this rabbit warren, i'd never find it on my own. i left a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way back to the office at the end of the day.
usually, i have my briefcase with me, and during prep times or lunch, i work on something for school. i'm in grad school, earning my licensure and masters in special ed, moderate to intensive disabilities. but i didn't think i'd have any downtime today, so i didn't bring my books. when i'm bored, i write or i draw. during my prep today, i got some colored pencils out and started doodling. as the kids were working on their pictures, once the class settled in, i kept doodling. the kids were fascinated by my drawing. i love little kids and their commentaries and compliments, "You're a GREAT drawer!" thanks! you're my new favorite! lol. the day went well, and i zipped off to grab Princess from track practice and head home to work on the project that is due on Tuesday for school. and here's what i created in school today:
Evening: Mondays and Wednesdays, i do cardio kickboxing at the local Y. it's taught by my besty, Karen. i've been doing it for about three years now, and its an awesome form of exercise. we lift weights first (shoulders, back and chest), then have class, then we lift for legs after class...tho i can often talk Karen out of legs :) Monday is also Heroes. it's one of only two shows, the other being Lost, that i watch with any regularity. its not that i don't like TV...its just that i've gotten out of the habit of watching it. i used to have to fight the family for the TV, and between school and kids activities, i always seemed to miss the shows that i liked. but now the kids are older, they have TVs in their rooms and one in the family room, so Monday hubby and i watch Heroes and Wednesday the world stops while i drool over Jack, Sawyer, Sawyer, and Desmond on their island.
so, that is the day in the life of ME! i doubt i'll be that detailed from now on. i'll try to just comment on the fun, the cool, or the crazy. but this first day deserved to be detailed (even if it is being written on Tuesday instead of Monday :) )
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Johnny, tell us what's behind Door Number Two....
On all those game shows, there's always an announcer who, in a great, BIG voice, calls the contestants' names, and says something like, "COME ON DOWN"........and the contestant, all excited and wiggly, runs down the studio steps, hoping not to break her neck on national TV. Then she goes through whatever silly game she's playing, and at the end is given a choice....Three doors......and she wavers, not sure which one is going to have THE PRIZE behind it. And she looks to the audience, and she looks to the host, and finally, she picks a door.........and the announcer man tells her what prizes are behind each of the doors. I figure, in life, Door Number One is Reality. Its the stuff you get every day. Door Number Two is that place that is surreal...it's neither good nor bad, just doesn't bear the pressure of daily life: it's not real, and has no bearing on reality. Door Number Three, always the last door, hides all the uncertainties of life. Its the door used to keep all the unpleasant stuff at bay.
Door Number One, real life can be tough. Fun, but full of stress and crap and deadlines and pressure and love and anger and dreams and fantasies......the whole gamut of emotions and experiences, if you're very lucky.
Door Number Two is the place you escape from all those realities. It's the place you unwind, shoot the shit, blab to all your friends, lie in the dewy grass under a starry sky as it fades to sunrise. Here is where you talk about all the things behind Door Number One, and all the things you're grateful to have escaped and avoided behind Door Number Three.
Door Number Three is that door that holds all the stuff you were hoping to avoid behind Door Number One. It's the unopened bills and the whining child and the teacher on the phone and the dog that is apparently NOT house broken. It's the door you're hoping to avoid.......forever.
So, you've left Door Number One behind, and you know better than to choose Door Number Three.....Welcome to Door Number Two
Door Number One, real life can be tough. Fun, but full of stress and crap and deadlines and pressure and love and anger and dreams and fantasies......the whole gamut of emotions and experiences, if you're very lucky.
Door Number Two is the place you escape from all those realities. It's the place you unwind, shoot the shit, blab to all your friends, lie in the dewy grass under a starry sky as it fades to sunrise. Here is where you talk about all the things behind Door Number One, and all the things you're grateful to have escaped and avoided behind Door Number Three.
Door Number Three is that door that holds all the stuff you were hoping to avoid behind Door Number One. It's the unopened bills and the whining child and the teacher on the phone and the dog that is apparently NOT house broken. It's the door you're hoping to avoid.......forever.
So, you've left Door Number One behind, and you know better than to choose Door Number Three.....Welcome to Door Number Two
Saturday, April 21, 2007
What the World Needs Now...........
It's funny how often I think in song lyrics and quotes from books, movies, and poems. Sometimes, its one of those natural progressions from something said or done to a common line or lyric. Other times, its like the words get stuck in my head, coloring everything I say and do. As I begin my blog on here, I keep hearing, "What the world needs now, is another BLOOOOG, like I need a hole in the head"........hmmmm, maybe I should begin listening to those inner voices.............naaaaaaaaaaaaah.
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