Well, hello, Melody! You're welcome here.
I teach special education at a private vocational high school run by a children's hospital. I teach "introduction to vocational programming" AKA, SURVEY! In the past I've taught functional math and self-contained LD Civics, team-taught Physical Science, self-contained English (both MR and LD), and self-contained LD/team-taught Life-Science. My favorite positons have been the functional math and life-skills, though.
My weight is mostly the result of an endocrine disorder that was out-of-control and undiagnosed/treated from 1998-2001. I was diagnosed with this nameless thing in late 2001.
Fortunately, I have friends who have stood by me, and my mother and grandmother.
I need to run now: tomorrow is our trip to DC. Today was a busy day too! I went swimming this morning, and did half a mile in just under 30 minutes. The other day I did a full mile in 68 minutes, so my time is really improving. Then I drove to the nearest DC Metrorail station, and went into DC to walk the route we're taking to the REd Cross Headquarters tomorrow. There is a parking garage across the street, though, so I'm not sure if we're going to take Metro now or walk. I'll have to talk to my partner and see.
I am a fourth-year inner-city public school pre-K teacher. I am the mother of a six-year-old girl. I've been married 11 years. I turned 40 earlier this month. I have mostly been on Weight Watchers over the years. But, after finding out that I am hypoglycemic (on the verge of diabetes) I will be changing to something low-carb. I ordered the South Beach Diet Book from Amazon.com a month ago, but have yet to receive it. I'm about ready to just say, "screw it" and pay full price at a book store just so I can get started already.
Welcome Melody!
Evening Ladies,
Sorry I have been MIA the last few days. I got a wonderful cold from my little MH kiddos. I swear this is the second time so far this school year. I told my two aides watch out I will probably have a cold from now until May. One each month until my birthday. So I went to school and came home to crash.
Today I had a mountain of laundry to wash and dry. It all got done and folded. Now I am hoping to put it away tomorrow evening. Yesterday I went and worked out at Curves, came home and booked a hotel room for my family the weekend of Thanksgiving so we can go to my grandma's 90th birthday party. Then helped the kids get ready for trick or treat. I got to stay home and pass out candy to the kiddos. I was okay until I saw a few kids from the next county over where I teach. It scares me that some of them know where I live now. Best not tick them off from now on. LOL.
Mouse have great time tomorrow on your field trip.
Summer sounds like you had a wonderful time with your kids on Friday for your party. Sorry that one mom had to ruin the day for her little one though.
Robyn hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Ginny glad to hear that your dh is finally coming around and helping you with the painting.
Melody, I am special ed teacher. I worked 3 years in an inner-city school teching LD?DH classes to 6th through 8th graders. Then for the last three years I have been teaching MH to 5th through 8th grades in a county school district. I just got married last Dec. after getting over the chicken pox that my afterschool kids gave me. I am a stepmommy to twin six-year old boy's and an eight-year old girl. I have been watching my carb intake and working out at Curves. Plus doing the Leslie Sansone walking videos. Glad you plan on joining us.
Well I best be off to bed.
Talk to you all later.
Kerry
Let's hear it for my kids! They did a beautiful job on the trip today... absolutely fabulous. One of my students even stood up and answered questions/shared opinions during the open forum discussion. Some of the students apparently laughed when they heard that she was from our school, which I missed... but we did some damage control. Basically asking our kids if, when they heard that some of these kids were from DC Charter Schools, what did they think? Guns, drugs, theft, gangs. Okay... were those kids that were at the event like that? No? How many of the kids in that audience have ever met anybody from our school, or have they only ever seen the TV ads run by the hospital? Those TV ads are designed to tug heart-strings, and get donations... so they tend to emphasize the most disabled of the students that we serve... And some high school studnets have been in the ads. But I do understand how they feel.
However: these students are allegedly with us because their public schools couldn't figure out how to educate them. Yet, nobody knew they were receiving "sped services" until my student told them what school she was with and some kids picked up the name of the hospital. So, for that alone, the kids deserve LOTS of credit.
We did get a parking ticket from an over-zealous meter maid, but that is okay. I don't think I'll be banned from driving the van anymore. I hope.
I'm off to a good start for November with all the walking in DC, plus did a mile at the pool tonight. And I'm going to off-load pictures from the digital camera.
If I can stay awake that long.
Mousie, I am glad that your students handled themselves so well, even if other students were cruel. Almost 20 years ago, I was a para in a high school with developmentally disabled teens. The "normal" kids would taunt my students, and God forbid any of my kids brushed up against them in the hall by mistake, the "normal" kids would act as if my kids were diseased. I can recall saying, "Mental ******ation isn't contagious!" We would get stares when we would go out into the community. My child plays with the special ed kids in her school, and defends them to the death. I wish more children were raised to be more sensitive.
Kerry, I hope you feel better. Get some rest. Make sure that you are taking care of yourself so that you don't get worse.
Tomorrow is a day off for the kids and a professional development day for the teachers. So, DH is staying home with DD. He will hopefully finish wallpapering the dining room since DD's party is Sunday, and I need that room done before Saturday. I hate to take time off school, but I think I will have to take Friday off to get everything done for the parties.
Hi Robyn and Ginny. Stay well, and don't work yourselves too hard.
Evening Ladies,
Well I started off the day with an oh my God! You have to be kidding attitude. Both of my TA's were absent today due to illness or a dd's broken foot. So I had to break in two new sub. aides. Once I got over the inital shock, I met the TA's and was floored by their willingness to do things and change my three students who needed changed. I was glad that the day went so smooth. I was able have a smile on my face several times today. Then I went to the afterschool program and worked with some wonderful 5th graders tonight. I was even able to go into Curves and put in a great sweaty workout. So I am glad that my day went so well. It could have been worse or a repeat of Friday.
Mouse I am glad that your kids did such a wonderful job today. That has to make you proud of all the hard work you do with them. Big pat on the back for you! So you got a lot of walking in today huh. I am suprised that you had the engery to go swimming tonight after your big field trip today. Hope you were able to download your pictures before falling asleep.
Summer sounds like you are going to have a busy week this week getting ready for your dd's birthday parties. Glad that your dh is willing or able to stay home from work to spend the day with your dd. Next week my county school district will have off on Thursday for Veteran's Day and then on Friday the kids have off but we staff have a waiver day. So it should be an interesting day. Don't you work yourself too hard this week.
Hi Robyne and Ginny. Hope your week is off to a good start.
Well I think I am off to bed. This time change is doing a number on my interal clock.
Chat with you all tomorrow. Have a great Tuesday!
Kerry
morning. for some reason i don't feel too refreshed after my less than 4 hours....
anyway... I typed a "REAL" message to you...and somehow lost it... But...wanted to let you know that I *AM* alive...and kicking... kicking.. KICKKKKing...
I'm off to vote...the lines on the news are very LONGGGG....
have a good day!
take care,
me
We were closed today, most of the schools in the state were, but staff had to go in. We don't have Veteran's day off. In fact, staff doesn't have any time off till Thanksgiving, which bites.
I usually seem to find energy to swim... I'm not sure why. Though I was asleep by 9:00 last night! Swimming makes me feel better... Today I did the weights, even though it wasn't a weight day to make up for yesterday. I'm trying hard not to do weights 2 days in a row, because I think that was how I hurt myself a few weeks ago...
Anyway. I'm playing phone tag with my gastroenterologist. I confused the heck out of her secretary!!! She wanted me to leave a phone number where she can reach me during the day: There isn't one. I can give you my home number, you can leave a message, but I won't be there. I can give you my cell phone, you can leave a message, its not allowed to be on during the day when there are students in the classroom.
And the school keeps piling on the work. I've always written my IEPs based on the state standards and objectives. I use the state's website with the goals/objectives broken out by grade level, and really just cut and paste... based on each student's needs and ability, changing wording as necessary. It made sense to me. Well, now that is what they want us to do: except that its not just based on the child's needs. NOW its based on the state standards, the child's needs and WHAT THE TEACHER THINKS THEY CAN COVER IN THEIR CLASSROOM. So before I write goals/objectives now, I have to give them to the math, english, reading, whatever subject teacher and make sure they think they can fit it into the "teach to the high stakes test" curriculum!
Grrr. And to make sure we're doing this, we are required to have copies of the state curriculum in each student working binder, coded as to whether the student has mastered the objective, or it is "in progress". I only have 5 students, but the curriculums are like 40 pages for English/Language Arts, and 20-30 for Math... That's a LOT of stuff to wade through!
Plus IEP updates, report cards, the IEPs themselves, I have reports to do for each Survey student (all 60 of them!), and community service logs.
I'm taking students to march in the Thanksgiving parade that we do here locally on 11/20. I actually had staff volunteer to come with us, which is fantastic... It looks like we'll be able to do at least 10 students. I need 8 staff to do 20 students, since we need 2 adults per van.
Well, I was up at 5:40am...wide awake...as if it was my normal wake up time...which is 6:30am...my body hasn't adjusted to the time change yet. Anyway, while the rest of the house slept, I showered, dressed myself, and was out of the house and at the polls to vote by 7am. I waited in line for 40 minutes. Not bad, since I just heard on the news that there was a 5 hour long line somewhere! Imagine waiting 5 hours to vote! This year, I might just do it since this election is very important to me.
I had an all day professional development day that ended up being not too bad after all. The morning session was reeeeeeally boring. But after lunch, we were sent to our rooms to work. I am so behind on my assessments and other paperwork because of the 9 days that my aide has been out and the 2 days I had to take for my biopsy. So, I was able to catch up somewhat. I'm still behind, but if my supervisor walked in tomorrow, I have a lot more to show her than I did this morning. So, after 3 hours working in my room, I got to go home at 3:15pm! Normally I get out at 5pm or 6pm. So, I used the extra time to spend with DD; gave her a luxuriously long bath (long baths are usually reserved for the weekend); roasted a whole chicken with all the trimmings; read DD three books; put her to bed; and cleaned the kitchen! It was so nice to not be rushed. But, we need the money, so I have to work late every night. That's life! I should be grateful that I can make very good money for so little effort.
Kerry, I'm so glad that #1, you got substitute aides and #2, they were willing to do the "dirty work" (no pun intended!). It is so hard to find people who are truly helpful, so I'm glad they ended up in your room and made your day better. When you are done with them, send them my way!
Mousie, all that paperwork sounds awful. We have to do similar things, but as a school. We break up into groups and handle it at staff meetings. I know that the day is coming that I will have to do pre-k on my own. But, since it hasn't been brought up yet, I'm keeping my mouth shut about it! Good luck wading through it all.
Robyn, you go girl! I'm glad you got out there to vote!
Ginny, how's it hangin'?
I'm crossing my fingers and holding my breath that NCLB will be no more after tonite.
'Morning!!!
Welcome Melody!!!!!!!! I hope you feel comfortable here and join our happy (if not at times a bit silly) group. Me? I am a mom of 3, 18 Dd(freshman in college), 15 Ds (he is the reason they invented hair color) and a Dd 8, who has not yet gotten to the age that she increases my need for hair color or Lotrel (BP med). I am a chemical engineer by education......worked as one for 10 years, 10 years as a technical writer and now have graduated to be a school bus driver. (works with my schedule and gives me a schedule that fits more with my family). These ladies have been kind enough to have me here......and can identify with my - someone- bring- out- the-duct-tape days with the students. I am on WW, have lost about 25# and am struggling with the last 12-15.
And I just checked the clock......guess it is time to go and get ready to face the masses. Will be back later to address everyone.
Ginny
Morning Gals,
Well I went to TOPS last night and I am back on the losing side of life again. I lost 1 1/4 pounds. So I was happy, since for five weeks I was gaining weight. Yeah for me!!!!
Mouse I know what you mean about the IEP's, the State of Ohio keeps changing their minds too. In fact, I have to go to a workshop tomorrow about alternate assessment. They changed the guidelines again on us. Glad that you were able to go to bed early on Monday night. I am also glad to hear that some of your staff is coming along to march in the Thanksgiving parade with you and the kids.
Summer, sounds like you had a wonderful productive day at school yesterday. You go girl!!!! I know what you mean about the subs. They were so wonderful that I didn't want to hear that they were booked for a few weeks straight. So you know that they are good. Hopefully when I need them again, they will be able to come back. Sorry I don't think they want to work. Plus I don't want to let them get too far away from me. LOL
Robyn glad to hear that you are alive and kicking. Your life has to slow down some day soon, right?
Ginny how are you doing?
Well it is off to work I go hi ho hi ho. Talk to you all later tonight.
Kerry
Well, I'm totally bummed out. Four more years of NCLB. I really thought that there was hope for our economy to turn around and for NCLB to either be eliminated or at the very least funded. No hope in that now. F*ck.
About 99% of the teachers in my building were as bummed as I was. It was a really lousy day. I've got to get myself out of this funk and just accept things the way they are.
I am taking Friday as a personal day to get ready for DD's parties. Mindless cleaning is pretty therapeutic for me. I need to get my mind off the election.
well....countless hours later.... just when I thought that the report cards were completed, turned in, returned by principal with 3 errors to fix (typos that I thought were fixed...argh!), REdone and printed out new copies of the 3...and then I saw something that I've never noticed before..... I have *JUST* found an error that was made on EACH report card... (it was a pulldown thing that I simply did NOT see...it is under the window that pops up when you type a comment in......unfortunately it was an important area...the darn YEAR!) The principal did not see the error.... however, I've fixed it... printed out yet another copy.....and will have to go to the principal and explain my mistake ...and she will have to sign each of the report cards again.....WHAT KIND OF FOOL doesn't put the year on a report card??? I've had many computer battles over these report cards....NEVER have I had this many problems with getting the stupid report cards and comments done correctly.........EVERRRRRR.... hours and hours and hours and now I have to go have CROW for breakfast.......
My mouth is covered with herpes from this stress.... I am sick to my stomach constantly. I haven't slept in days.... My eating goes hand in hand with my stress...and the Chocolate doesn't seem to make these issues any better at all....
At LEAST tomorrow is Thursday.
For the 3rd night...all I've done is report card junk.... I'm SOOO over this!
thanks for listening to yet another MEMEMEMEMEE rant....
Remember my adventures in August with jury duty? WELL...returned home this evening after dark, of course, to discover that I've been selected for Federal jury duty in the city where I used to work...... as if my week wasn't already stinking enough........
where is everyone?!
It is yet another night after 11:00.... tomorrow I have big plans for after school...I'm coming home and I'm heading immediately to sleep!
You're welcome here. 
So you got a lot of walking in today huh. I am suprised that you had the engery to go swimming tonight after your big field trip today. Hope you were able to download your pictures before falling asleep.
That's life! I should be grateful that I can make very good money for so little effort.
