2 down, 3 to go!

Well, we are now two days into the last week before winter break. As expected, the kids are not focused on anything educational. I have resorted to writing activities and math problems based on "holiday" customs from around the world. Today we focused on customs in England and how Americans have adapted them. It reminded me of a student I had 7 years ago.

We were talking about the tradition of caroling and spreading cheer. I asked the students if anyone new what "carolers" were. I got this response, "The things my momma puts in her hair at night". I have never forgotten that response and it still makes me smile to this day.

Another student I will never forget will be "G". I wrote about him and the vision screening. He truly is the best reader in my class and has amazing recall of everything he hears. Today we were walking down the hall to go to the restrooms. I noticed something strange about G. He had his coat on upside down. The hood was hanging down in the back. I tapped him on the shoulder and told him his coat was on upside down. He looked, shocked, and took it off and then couldn't quite figure out how to put it back on. Poor kid! He is book smart but definitely not common sense smart. Gotta love 'em! They make me smile!

Three more to go!!!!

Common Sense?

The group of students I have this year never cease to amaze me with their lack of common reasoning skills. Last week we had a mass hearing and vision screening for students. We were called by class to come to the auditorium. The nurses explained the process and showed the kids what to do when they were called. They were to go to the "hearing" table and then sit somewhere else for "vision" so the nurses would know who had both screenings done.

My students were wandering everywhere, they didn't know where to go or what to do. My favorite was G, when he had his vision screening. They have to put on a pair of glasses with one side covered up and then read the letter the nurse points to. They then switch and do the other eye. G was told to put on the blue glasses first. He stares at the two glasses (which are blue and red) and can't quite figure out which one to pick up. It's not that he doesn't know colors, he is actually a fluent reader and a very smart boy. He just gets REALLY confused. I go over and point to the blue glasses and tell him to put them on. He doesn't know how. He rests them on his nose but not behind his ears. I had to physically put the arms behind his ears. Next, the red glasses. He picks them up and puts them on... upside down!

Next week is gonna be an interesting one, being the week before our winter break. Wish me luck!!

Exhausting

My first December blog! My school world has been a bit boring lately so I haven't had much to write about. My personal life, on the other hand, has been nothing but jam packed! So... here's a day in the life of "ME"!!

My daughter woke me up at 3am Sunday morning crying. Her throat was hurting and she couldn't swallow. I got up and took her temperature. She was running a 101.1 temperature. She stayed in my bed until morning. I got on-line and "checked in" to an urgent care center. We got up and ready to wait for them to call and let us know when we could come. They called about 9:00. We left and were on our way to get my baby better.

The area where this center is located is very building saturated. I couldn't find the place! I kept making u-turns and looking around everywhere. I finally decide to pull over in a parking lot to see if I can find an address and get my bearings. I look and there is a police car behind me, WITH IT'S LIGHTS ON!!!! I lean out the window and apologize for not seeing him there. I tell him I'm looking for the urgent care center. He looks at my pitiful daughter in the back seat and says, "Did you know your inspection sticker is expired?" Are you kidding me?! My freakin' inspection sticker. He was apparently sitting in this parking lot and happen to see my inspection sticker was expired. Oh my goodness!!! So, he gets my license and insurance and comments on how he too is an underpaid public servant (teacher... police officer) but still writes me a freakin' ticket! UGH! He points me in the direction of the center and we leave.

We get to the center and sit down. They tell us to wait about 5 minutes for the room. About 3 minutes after that, we hear a woman screaming for help and a man screaming OMG, OMG. The nurse grabs the phone and calls 9-1-1. Five minutes later an ambulance pulls up and they go in to the rooms. 45 minutes later, they wheel a woman out with bandages wrapped around her head. Apparently this woman fell and hurt herself pretty badly. So, now that we have been waiting for almost an hour, we finally go back to see a doctor. She says it appears my daughter has strep throat but she wants to do the strep test where they rub a swab on the back of the throat. My daughter freaks out, starts crying, and is getting herself very upset. She hates having that done, as do I. I ask the doctor if it's truly necessary and she says she would be able to diagnose better if she knew. I convince my daughter to do it. The doctor does the swab and my daughter begins to gag. She then begins to heave and spit up blood. Her throat is so irritated it is bleeding. This goes on for about 15 minutes. The doctor and I are holding a trash can under her and taking turns getting towels to wipe her mouth. My daughter convulsed so hard she broke the blood vessels on her checks and in her eyes. My poor baby!

The doctor leaves to do the lab test and doesn't come back for about 20 minutes. Apparently the lab tech was doing x-rays on a crying toddler and couldn't do the labs for a while. Well, the test came back negative but the doctor wanted to give my daughter a shot because of the severe throat infection. She said the shots were very painful so I opted against them. She instead said she would give a high dosage of antibiotics, an anti-nausea, and a throat numbing gargle. We finally get to leave!

We go by the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. They are done and I go to pay. There are only two. The doctor forgot the antibiotics! The pharmacist had to call and finally we were able to get our medicine and leave. We got home, finally, 4 hours later. She took her medicine and fell asleep.

She is doing better today, thank goodness!

Well... that's a look into the fun-filled life of a teacher and single mom! Woo-hoo!

Beds

I love my daughter. She is six years old and keeps me laughing daily (not always on purpose). Here is a conversation we had earlier this evening:

Daughter: Mommy can we put your sheets on my bed?
Me: No, our beds are not the same size.
Daughter: They look the same.
Me: No, my bed is a queen size and yours is a full size.
Daughter: Oh.
Me: (smile)
Daughter: So you are a queen and I am a full (fool).
Me: Yup!
Daughter: Hey!
Me: You said it!

And So It Continues...

So today, I'm in the cafeteria with my students who are eating breakfast (I have the pleasure of taking my whole class to breakfast) and a certain TA walks up directly behind me and yells, for me to hear, to another TA if they are ordering food for lunch today. The other TA says not that she knows of and asks why. Annoying one says because she's not allowed to order out anymore. She's obviously saying this to make sure I hear her. It's purely for my benefit. I decide to be the bigger person and not turn around. I act as if I don't hear anything. Hard to do when someone is basically yelling in your ear and you can feel them staring at you. The TA she was talking to had no clue what she was doing and she eventually walked away. I don't think she fully understands that I don't care who, what, when, where, why, or how she eats. None of this would have been an issue if she hadn't yelled at me in the first place. UGH!!!!

Later during the day...

I'm walking down the hall during my planning period. She and two other TA's are loitering in the hallway. One of them says to another, "Hey, E, do you have a minute?". The infamous TA, let's call her "B", (make your own assumptions) says, "No, but some people have ALL day!".

I guess it was suppose to be a jab at me. Maybe she thinks that a teacher has nothing to do all day. I guess her job and life are WAY more difficult than a measly first grade general education/ESL teacher and single mom.

My question to all of you is...

What do I do? She has made my workplace a hostile environment. I am very uncomfortable when she is anywhere around me. I'm not sure what she's going to do next? I need some words of wisdom from my blogger friends.

De-Stressing

Today during our planning periods we had an "optional" meeting with a psychiatrist for tips about de-stressing. Teaching is certainly a stressful job and I could see how these meetings could be useful. I'm actually a very laid back and happy person. When I do get stressed or upset by external forces, I tend to step back and tell myself that no one can "steal my joy" or control how I feel.

I went to the "session" mostly to show support and hopefully to gain a few tips. I was the only one to show up during my planning time. It turned out to be a bit of a "venting" session. Seeing as I really don't have much to vent (I do that here and at happy hour) I just answered her questions about school environment and overall feelings around the campus.

I was honest and told her that I truly don't have very many issues. I told her I try to not take anything personally and that usually works for me. Apparently, there are many others feeling stress because of negativity in our building. I think she is going to try to get more positives and fun things to happen at our school which would, of course, be great.

Later that same day...
I go to pick my students up from lunch. I'm about 5 minutes early so I just talk to the kids for a bit. I realize there are no TA's in the cafeteria and it's 2 minutes until we leave for recess. None of the children have taken their trays to the trash. We have 200 kids in there and I know it's going to be chaos very soon. I tell my kids to stand up and take their trash and trays. I turn around and a TA is yelling at me. Here is the conversation.

TA: "So, I GUESS we are ALL just DISMISSING our OWN kids NOW!"
Me: "No one was in here."
TA: "I WAS in HERE! YOU SAW ME!"
Me: "No, you were not in here."

Side note- another TA had gone to get them all lunch from Applebees (not their lunch time, lunch duty) and the custodian and TA's were in the hallway paying her.

TA: "I GUESS I will just STAY in one SPOT!"
Me: "Un-freakin-believable!"

All of this in front of my student teacher and students. Very unprofessional and rude. I immediately went to inform an administrator. This TA was actually suspended for 3 days for yelling at an assistant principal. Some nerve.

She's obviously a VERY unhappy person in the wrong profession. It made me think about what I said to the psychiatrist. I had to take a few minutes and relax and realize that this woman can not and will not "steal my joy" or control how I feel.

Here's to a fantastic tomorrow!

Rude Awakening

I awake this morning at 5am to the sound of a dog barking. It's a very unusual bark. A high pitched, annoying, continuous barking. I'm so angry that someone's dog has woken me and now I can't get back to sleep. I then realize, it's one of MY dog's barking! It's a bark I've never heard before. I'm so startled, I jump out of bed and run out into the back yard. I call the two dogs and they won't come to me. They continue to bark. All of a sudden, I hear yelping. Then it's quiet. I'm screaming my dogs name and there is no response. No movement, no sounds, nothing. I'm completely freaking out. I can't see anything because I don't have my glasses on, it's pitch dark, I'm in my jammies, and I have no shoes on. All I can think is that my dog's have been attacked by something and hurt badly.

I run into my house, grab my glasses, put some shoes on and then run back outside. It's still dark and I can't find a flashlight.

I run to where I last heard noises in the back yard. I see my dog's. They are standing, quietly, staring at a... POSSUM! There's a freakin' possum in my backyard! I am so confused and thankful that my dogs are okay I don't even know what to do. What was the yelping? How do I handle this situation? They won't come in the house with me. They just continue to stare at and bark at this possum laying on it's side. I'm assuming it's dead. I don't want them to do anything to it but they still wont come in.

I finally give up and go back in the house. By now, it's time for me to be up. I take my shower, get my daughter up, get ready for school, and look for a flashlight. Still can't find one!

I go back outside to check on "the situation".

IT'S GONE! The possum was playing possum!

It's still so dark outside I can't tell if it's gone or just somewhere else. Seeing as there is nothing else I can do and I have to get to school, I leave, hoping for the best.

I was dreading going into the back yard when I got home today. Great news! No possum anywhere. It was indeed playing possum and made it's escape. Yay little possum! Run! (And don't come back and cause my dogs to wake me up again!)