Bogged Down and ready for Mardi Gras

I know that I have not blogged in forever but things have been pretty hectic. On top of starting my first year teaching at a new school in the middle of the year, I have to balance 12 hours of graduate classes. The icing on the cake is that I've gotten sick. Actually I have been seriously ill for the past few months and I failed to realize it until reality struck one day in my classroom last week. I had noticed the weight gain and the nausea and vomiting but I was hoping to put off a hospital visit until the Mardi Gras break. I was forced to leave work early on Tuesday and was out of the classroom for the rest of the week. I returned to work today but I have to return to the hospital for a follow up visit on Wednesday. I am hoping for good news but it's really not looking like I will get it. On top of that I have an IEP Reeval that needs to be done on that same day and my clinic hours start that night in one of my graduate classes. I am trying to hold my head above water but the tide is getting really high. I am also having trouble getting some of my students to complete work in my classroom. Majority of my students come from one classroom and their teacher bad mouths me to her students (they come back and tell me this), I have also witnessed her telling her class that they are lazy and incompetent and that is why they are all failing. I have not said anything about her behavior because I obviously have way too much on my plate to be getting into this right now. I continue to hold my head up and teach on. I refuse to stoop down to her level. I am still enjoying my job and my students. There are a few challenges to overcome but I believe those things will be handled at the appropriate time.

Day 2...Still smiling...

So yesterday was my first day and it went well. Today was even better. Although it was only my second day there I have already learned so much. There are already students that call out my name and tell me hello. My team leader is a very experienced teacher and she happens to be the current Teacher of the Year. I think that is so amazing that I get the chance to learn directly from someone like her. We have already "clicked" and we have discovered that we work well together. We were able to get a lot of work done today and tomorrow I get to start following my new schedule. I am replacing a teacher who has been promoted to Curriculum Coordinator so I have a ready made classroom. I will only be making a few changes but that is it. She is sharing ALL of her stuff with me (she has taught over 15 years so I know there are a lot of cool things that I will discover in her cache of things). We have also "clicked" and we have a similar personality and work ethic. I am truly honored to be working with my new Principal, Curriculum Coordinator, and Team Leader. They are all strong, positive women that I can look up to and learn tons from.
Tomorrow is the first day of classes for the Spring 2012 semester of grad school. I am not looking forward to those long Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Oh yeah, did I mention that I am still packing for the move....

Currently...my first day

Today I took a trip back to elementary school as the new 5th grade Resource Teacher. I had a great day and I look forward to my new role. Looks like I have finally found the place for me....
I have decided to join the linky party at Oh' Boy 4th Grade. Hopefully I will get lucky and win one of those lovely pencil sharpeners. Head on over and link up!

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...