2012 = New Beginnings

So 2012 is finally here and I am so excited. I will be starting my new job on Monday and my second semester of Grad school begins on Wednesday. Bring on the sleepless nights.... I'm going to try to keep it with this blog and write more about my teaching journeys. My time as a middle school teacher was short-lived but I am thankful that I was given that opportunity. Next week marks my return to ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! That's right...I'm going back and I'm ecstatic! I finally landed a job in the district that I've been praying to get into. I am the new Special Education Resource Teacher for grades 5/6. I have thoroughly enjoyed my break but I am ready to get into some type of routine before I get too lazy. This is a year of new beginnings for me and I'm ready to make the most of it.  Did I mention I have always wanted to be a resource teacher? Back to enjoying my weekend. Apartment hunting in the morning...

Farewell Fall 2011

This has been one crazy semester but it is finally over. I have officially taken my last final and turned in my last paper. One semester of Grad school is over and behind me. How has middle school been going? Well that is a totally different subject. Let's just say I was lured in and hired under false pretenses and I am not one bit happy about it. Luckily I didn't sign any contracts and I am free to walk. I really despise being deceived. I was told that the teacher had taken a medical leave and would be gone until at LEAST March and there was a big possibility that she wouldn't return for the rest of the school year. I was told I would be getting paid one amount and then later I found out that this was a discrepancy and I would actually be getting paid less (I decided to ignore this minor issue and continue anyway). I was also told that they were not just looking for a substitute teacher but a certified teacher who could construct lesson plans, guide paraprofessionals, work on IEPs and lead instruction. I was so excited to be able to construct and implement my plans and eagerly planned things. I observed the students and the paras and familiarized myself with what had been going on. First warning sign....Where were the IEPs? I was told that the teacher had all this information at home and they would be contacting her to get it. (She had already been on leave for 2 whole months by this time). Second warning...all the students did was work on worksheets with help from the paras (that was ok, I was already brainstorming unique ideas to get them up and working on hands on activities). Third warning....Me to para: I notice that they are all working on the same worksheets, do they ever do work catered to their own ability but different from the other? Para (blank stare): no we always do the same exact worksheets for everyone but we just differentiate certain instructions. I don't think they should do different work....
Fourth warning..the principal tells me hey we were wrong Ms. So-and-so won't be out all year, in fact she won't even be out until March. She has decided to return in January...
Do you want to know the last and final warning? The warning that burst the bubble...Ok here goes....
I get called into the principal's office and here is what he said....wait for it.... He wanted to clarify my role in the classroom. Since Ms. So-and-so is coming back sooner than we thought, I really don't have to do a thing. He wants me to sit back and let the paras teach and instruct as I observe them (observe, what is this college? And excuse me, did he say observe the paras? my turn to use the blank stare). I should also do whatever the paras think I should do. Also although he wants me to relinquish control to the paras, if anything goes wrong I am the one who will be blamed (yeah he actually said that)
So basically I am the teacher on paper yet I am expected to perform the duties of a paraprofessional and observe and take orders from the other paras since "they have been there all year and know how things should run"
I am still shocked and I honestly don't know what to think but I do know that this is not where I want to be. My instincts say RUN and RUN FAST!
BTW I was called by an elementary school principal yesterday and offered the chance to interview for a long-term job there...

Middle School here I come!

It's official. I'm a middle school teacher! Wow I never thought I would say that. I'll be teaching a 6-8 resource/self-contained class. I'm so excited. I have already met my students and TAs but tomorrow will be my first full day in the classroom to get a feel for the students and look at IEPs. Nervous? Why yes I am.

Updates, New Laptop, and Middle School, OH MY!

I have been super busy and haven't had time to update due to problems with my laptop. I am happy to announce that I now have a new laptop, but I'm still super busy. These 12 hours are no joke. I am glad that the semester is almost over. I haven't even had the time to apartment shop so I decided to put that off until the winter break. I have been learning a whole lot in my classes and I am still hoping to be able to put all my knowledge into practice very soon.

I have recently been told that I would make a very good middle school teacher. As a flexible person, I am okay with trying out this new role. The only thing I have to do is sharpen up on my classroom management plan for middle school because I know it it different from elementary. I have experience working with students of all ages and the LEAP test does NOT scare me. I have actually helped a student prepare for the ELA and Math portions of his LEAP test and my techniques proved to be very successful. There appears to be quite a few openings in nearby school districts for Middle School Special Educators. Will I be walking into a middle school sometime soon? Only time will tell...

Currently...

This is the first time that I have ever decided to join a linky party but this one was just too cute to pass up. I'm linking up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her October linky party.

Feedback

Thinking about updating my blog and making it more visible. I usually just like to come here and talk for my own benefit without feedback from a lot of people. My Facebook and Twitter are overrun with comments from hundreds of friends everyday but this blog is for me. Maybe I will increase its visibility in the near future. All it will take is a link on either my FB or Twitter page but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. This is my little safe  haven for now. I love to come here and not see 1,000+ followers. It's my yoga on the internet.
On another note.........one of my classes requires us to participate in a forum. Not only do we have to answer the professor's original questions, but we also have to respond to 5 of our classmates. Really??? 5 times? It just seems a little like overkill to me..GRRRR....

A Sense of Peace

Wow this semester is certainly keeping me busy. I have decided to halt the search for a teaching job and focus on my graduate studies for now. I am regularly substituting but I can always choose my own days off. I am taking 12 hours of graduate courses (yeah that's a lot, or so I've heard...) and I have recently started taking yoga classes. Yoga has turned out to be really relaxing and I am really enjoying it. I will be satisfied until I have comfortably mastered the pose below :)

I am very happy with the way things are going right now. I cannot remember the last time that I have felt this type of peace.

My current routine:

I'm usually subbing at the same schools, so I am well known by staff and students around the campuses that I do frequent. I am very interested in all of the classes that I am taking and I feel like I will learn a whole lot through this program. I have started yoga and have finally started working out regularly and it feels great.

Things to do:

I still have yet to find a place in my new city. I currently live 45 minutes away from where I attend school and work and I cannot wait until I can move closer and get settled.

I am looking for a topic in special education to research for one of my classes. (possibly comparing the different ways that 3-4 states are implementing RTi and recording their success or lack of success with the program)