Good Day Today @ MindSay

Just got off the phone with Gwen, the principal of this school in Northampton, MA, called Jackson Street.

I met with her and her team yesterday for an interview about their behavior program.  I was supposed to be interviewing at 12, but wanted to be able to go to work at camp for at least half a day, so I begged them to switch it to 9am.  Then I KICKED myself about it, because now I was going first, which means everyone would be compared to me, and I would be the least memorable by day's end.  I kept "no" outta my heart though; I embodied Joe Dirt and went in there and hoped for the best.

So she called today, and basically said, "We felt a really good connection to you and were really impressed by you"  "I have to call your references to be sure, but I know they're going to be fine, so I'll call you back today or tomorrow with more" and then "It'll have to be tomorrow, so I can talk to the superintendent and advocate the salary range/step".

I am swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimming in happiness right now.  Could it be, knowing what the hell I'll be doing in September an entire MONTH early?  A whole month without stress or waking up at 4am unable to sleep because I'm afraid I'll never get out of debt or hired again? 

And it's beautiful outside.  I'm going to go squeal some more : ).

               D CAME TO VISIT TODAY!!!! :-D  Oh man was it good to see him!  We had finally settled into reading instruction a little, and I heard a voice and I was mid-trying to calm A down because he was mad he ‘hadn’t had a warm-up’, and I just stood up and ran over.  SO happy to see him.  it was like… you know when someone’s hurt, and you hear they’re better, but in your mind, they’re NOT okay until you actually get to see them?  Well…he’s okay.  He was being admitted to a day program today, so there’s no set date of when he’ll be back with us IF he’ll be back with us, but…he’s out of the hospital in almost 1/3 of the time he’s gone in for in the past.  That gives me tremendous hope.

                Rest of the day was pretty good.  2 days in a row A has LOST his dang mind for the afternoon; this was his issue at the beginning of the year, too.  Maybe it’s the warm weather?  Have to investigate that further.  Meanwhile, we (and by we, I mean Claudia because she was there) did a ton of testing on E today; he took the DIBLES for 4^th grade and 5^th grade (and did better on 5^th grade), and then Terri taught me how to do this thing called the WRAT, which was a spelling and math diagnostic;  he scored in the average range on both, though his spelling results placed him as a 3^rd grader (he is a good speller if you teach him the word, but my theory is that because his speech is so hard to understand, he also doesn’t HEAR a lot of the nuances of language, and thus doesn’t hear letters that are in words, which is why he can write words perfectly that he’s SEEN/studied, but on the first go-around, misses them).

                Reading group he came without complaint, and then I sucked it up and went to get JW and LF-M even though I had a bad headache and figured Larry would say no because they had their math test today.  We went to the lab, and tried to write.  They need to see me more as a teacher; I like being silly with them, but there’s also … it’s not disrespectful, but I’m pretty sure if I sat back and Dorell was in charge of them again one afternoon, they’d produce a lot more, and wouldn’t be nearly as sarcastic.  I don’t want them super serious (since I’m not super serious), but I’d also like them, as gen-ed 6^th graders, to be able to produce a significant amount of work in the half hour we have together.  Starting tomorrow.

*A-ism of the day = "Whatever I can do for the trees..."

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

 Nothing big to report AGAIN (in a good way). Day started out w/ a long talk w/ Nichole : ). She’s so… Nichole. I can’t describe her. I love her. Always very frank, very candid, and no matter what she’s threatening, loves the hell out of her kid(s) and wants what is best for them.

I was complaining that my NY counter-parts are on spring break starting tomorrow because NY gets a week and 2 days for break and we not only don’t get it, we get it a week later so I can’t even stay to visit people. So Parker says ‘So move back’. And I said, ‘I’m trying to’. Then he adds, ‘good, so Cathy and I can move in with you’. Apparently, he did not say ‘in with’ he said ‘next door to’. I told him I would not want to live next door to him because he smells, but he promised me he’d do ‘stupid human tricks’, so I’ll entertain the idea. I’d like to at least MEET Cathy before we share a bathroom, but aw he wants to keep me around. Needs to be able to pick on me at a moment’s notice. Anyway, the point of remembering this is because his offer of ‘stupid human tricks’ reminded me of living in Carlyle junior year and moving in the first day and that random boy across the courtyard doing that poking dance for me. I miss college sometimes.

Today was really pretty easy. They watched the end of Holes until about 9:40, and then decided to cash-in to watch BOLT this afternoon, so very little academically. E told us he’s not coming in on Friday because he’s going to dad’s for the weekend/Easter. He is SO CUTE when he’s excited about something. Love it. I also had a good time eating lunch (well, my banana) in the room with the 2 of them, talking about loose teeth. They’re so cute sometimes. I also have to say that E was amaaaaaaaazing today reading Captain Underpants to A for reading instruction.  He was really nice and encouraging ("you knew that one! Great!"  "what does this one say? look at the first letter") and patient and basically, he won.  There was no contest, but he won.

Yesterday they were ATROCIOUS with 'that's gay' or 'so-and-so is gay because_________', and D was swearing like a sailor (and not, say, a NINE YEAR OLD), but today we didn't have that issue. <3.  Also, A went to sit down on the beanbag where Parker was and Parker had to pretty much JUMP out of the way to not get smushed, and I laughed so hard I fell outta my chair.  In general, though, A was ADORABLE today, singing along to the movie (well, 50% the lyrics and 50% his own). 

Yup. My day. :3

My day was pretty decent today. Math was good, I studied for my English test I had today.

In English, we had that test about Fahrenheit 451... It was pretty straightforward, pretty easy - well, until the essay component. I was stumped on what to write for it... But at least I gave it a shot instead of leaving it blank.
Also, I was very surprised today. We got our midterm marks today. I have an 81!! I'm so proud! ^^ I thought I was gonna get like, a really low 70 or something. But an 81, I can live with. When the R&J unit arrives, I'm sure that mark will boost a bit. That, I'm happy about. :3

History, we went to the Library to do some research. I was doing it with Meghan, on Prohibition in the 1920's - the banning of alcohol. Robert came in and sat down. He was studying for a Math test he had next period. He and I talked for a few minutes, since it's been awhile (he's in Grade 11, and I'm in 10 - so we don't have any classes or lunch together or anything). He told me he was failing English, but he's passing everything else. He commented on how shocked he was to know that I was in Essentials Math (Essentials is a workplace level - they teach you what you need to know to live your life. So it's all about money, time, etc.), and in Academic English (Genius level, he calls it). "Well... That's just the way I roll." I said, with a laugh.

Computers was okay. Kinda boring though. Tomorrow is our Literacy Test. I feel nervous about it... But, hey, if I screw up, I can always re-take it in the next two years! ...Uh...

Play practice tonight. From 4:30 until 8-ish. This is our last and final practice. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night are actual performances. I feel anxious, but at the same time, excited.

Whoa! A Monday! That hasn’t happened in a while! Today was my first day working my new schedule, and was also crazy because Claudia called in sick. Deb Andrews filled in for her. So basically, it was her and Parker on the three. D started out AGAIN with inappropriate talk (“I peed on that tray”), and was off a bit, but started to settle down. A and I were playing Money Bags, and E joined us, and then D came in to play (after he FINALLY brought his lunch tray down to the caf). Then I went to my writing group, but apparently, that’s from 9:30 – 10:00, not 9:00 – 10:00, so yay, I have more time in my room with my boys!

When I went back, reading instruction was NOT happening, but I cracked the whip a bit and got most of us started. I think next time Claudia’s out, I’m going to NOT follow my schedule so I can be there to support the others. Overall, the day was okay; incident when A threw a book at E during silent reading and E hit him (but didn’t REALLY because when E is mad he is a powerhouse and would have left welts, so he just used his hands on him which isn’t better but is), but otherwise, nothing really big was reported to me. A had an issue at lunch, and was mad when I wouldn’t let up/wouldn’t talk to him while he was whining/flailing around, but he slowly realized I meant business and started to talk to me…like an 11 year-old should. I feel like a bitch; I know he’s NOT an 11 year old except for that he’s been alive that long, but at the same time, you’re going to middle school next year, kid. You are going to be in a building of 7th – 12th graders and you need to learn how to act when you’re frustrated or upset.

I felt so bad for Parker today. The sub was really sweet and helpful, but she doesn’t know our room and its crazy preceedings, so today was pretty much JUST Parker. And he mentioned that the difference between when at least one of us is there versus not is tremendous, and “when you guys are here, I feel like I do an…85% good job. When you’re not, I feel like I do an…8”. Aw! He’s so good, but it IS really stressful when you’re used to a team and 2/3 of the team aren’t there. He said he put in for a personal day for tomorrow, which he deserves, I guess, but I’m kind of hoping he doesn’t.

Because I’m not going to be in tomorrow morning. Or, we’re 99% sure I’m not going to be. I mean, not in the building; if I were in the building, I’d be following my schedule. But Pat came in at the end of the day to ask if I’d checked my email, which I hadn’t because the internet was broken all day. Basically, Claire or she or someone told Julia (Z’s mom who has been blowing us off for a long time) that we could hold the meeting AT her house, and she jumped on the idea. She was like ‘well, what’s your schedule tomorrow?’ and I told her I just had to take A to gym from 9 – 10 but C or P could take him or a sub could, so she said that if she could get Jerry/Claire to agree, we’d all go to the house tomorrow. Strange. So I need Claudia to call me so I can let her know tomorrow’s a good day to get to work if she can. And I’m hoping Parker wants to go in, too.

*PS, what a boring entry title!  I need to get creative with these.