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

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:

• 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.

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..............

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.

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.

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.

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. :)