thankful

Some good things happened today:

- Mr first DonorsChoose project was funded! The first four levels of my leveled library should arrive after the winter ordering freeze. My project for levels E through H is being reviewed and should be up soon.

- The PTO may be buying me a tent for my room to make a reading nook. My long-term sub-sistant (ha!) was president last year, so she took note of how differently my room is funded. We will see . . .

- I got lap desks for my guys, finally! They were on sale at Michael's for $5 each, plus my teacher discount. Hooray!

- My book bins are in (but UPS wouldn't leave them because I wasn't there. Boo. Let's hope the signature release on the door works tomorrow.)

- We've started bucket-filling. My kinds are slowly taking to it. I also managed to find some cute buckets at Target in the dollar section! Well, actually, my mentor found them for me and I went to get them. :) We needed 7. I got 12. Heh.

absent

Hi. Umm, it's been a month. While I am not one for excuses ("but he made me do it!") there have been some interesting circumstances around these here parts:

1. I had a new friend join me on short notice. He hasn't learned the ropes yet, so I've been kicked/hit/bitten (yes, bitten!) quite a few times. Plus, my new friend runs out of my room frequently. My others ran out frequently in August if they were upset (not anymore.) He ran out last week when asked if he wanted to play legos or do Fast Math during choice time. Yeah.

2. My paraprofessional took all of her sick days, then quit with no notice. The day after her sick leave ran out, she didn't call in or officially quit, so I didn't even have a substitute. I've had some interesting substitutes in the meantime, by the way. I have a long-term one now, though. She's amazing, but not trained and having to learn on the spot. Plus, she's only paid to work bell-to-bell (paraprofessionals stay 30 minutes,) so it's hard to conference about logistics.

3. I have been sick. I have a nasty chest cold (AKA probably bronchitis) that's been messing with my asthma, plus I just finished antibiotics for an ear infection. As a side note, I don't know any other adult that still gets ear infections. This is my third this year. Weird?

Anyway, I'm going to try to be better about posting, because some of the things that go on around here are pretty funny. I need to be creating a memoir. ;)

unwell

An e-mail I received today from our school psych:

"What day are you going to go observe at (two elementary schools with classes like mine) and (school with student needing evaluation) (AKA day I need to be feeling sick?)"

I was first informed that I was not allowed sick days. Then they said that I could take them, but that they would want to take a sick day that day, too. 

overwhelmed

I am (unexpectedly) home this weekend. Again.

Although I love the kids I teach, and I hope I'm doing a good job teaching them, I'm extremely stressed out by my job. Add on roommate troubles, not having friends in my new city, and so on . . . I feel pretty awful right now.

I have spent all of Saturday a) looking up ideas for math and literacy centers on the internet, b) going to two teacher stores and B&N for supplies, c) getting back on the computer and working on stuff for school, and d) not napping despite an overwhelming urge to.

I don't want to make this blog really personal. This is getting to me, though.

Anyway, I have a billion things to do and no time to do them in. Centers, lesson plans, preparing for a field trip, organizing for an early release day, an induction teacher class . .  . This would seem much less overwhelming if my kids weren't so high-octane. I get hit or kicked pretty much every day, things are thrown, someone runs from the room, someone else offends the precious sensibilities of a general education teacher. . .

I don't have planning half the time. I frequently don't have time for lunch. My only bathroom break on Friday happened at 2:50. I had last gone at 7:05. I don't get much help from my assistant. She frequently calls in sick.

I don't know if I'm supposed to be this stressed. Am I making too big of a deal about it all?

where are you, weekend?

I was at Wal-Mart for longer than I expected this morning (buying legos, dixie cups, and a beanbag chair) and didn't get to school until 7:10. (That's still 5 minutes before duty starts, and I technically don't have duty.) I usually get there at 6:45. My assistant saw me and said, "Oh thank God. I was afraid your cold had gotten worse and you'd called in sick."

Later today, I was wondering aloud why it felt like it should be the weekend already when it was only Thursday. The school psych shouted out (from her office) that it was because I worked twice as hard as anyone else. I asked if we could just cancel school tomorrow. "No. And, also, you may not take a sick day. Ever. We would be in serious trouble. I will buy you orange juice and a flu shot. The one professional day you have coming up is all you get."

Awesome. So much for the five (or something) day balance I have, I guess they'll be rolling over forever.

planning

An e-mail I received today:

"We need to meet and make a cohesive plan for (other teacher's) new student. Tentative plan for first day: wear running shoes."

sick

When I spoke to one of my kids early this morning, he said, "I gave you my cold, didn't I?"

Yeah. Thanks, dude.

On another note, why am I awake at oh-dark-thirty when I'm sick? Oh, maybe it's because I was making materials for science tomorrow, working on a class jobs chart, and reading up on district ELA curriculum. (p.s. I think that should've been addressed earlier. It is the 7 week of school and I just figured out where to get the district sight word list.)

My assistant sent me an e-mail saying she hope I took meds. I think she's just afraid I'll leave her there tomorrow with a sub. Heh.