Quotes of the day

 Kids often will say the silliest things... 

4th grade we were working on going over last weeks reading test in small group.. All they needed was themselves and a grading pen.. 

- one student brings her entire pencil box and looks irked when I pointed it out

Same student:

L: How long will this take? I have a story to finish writing. 

Me: It will take as long as it needs to take.

Later:

L: Why don't I have a grade on my test? 

Me: You have the fraction representation..

L: No.. why don't I have a grade on mine

Me: I have no idea

L: Well what is a -3

Me: No idea

L: But what is a -3 is like an A.. 

Me: I don't know ask your teacher

5th graders taking a math test I have my SXM app on quietly and typing at my desk. 

M: You have a keyboard that sings? That's cool

Me: looks at him confused

X: No that is her speakers playing music

M: Leans up to speakers Oh.. 

Tired

 One tired but happy teacher checking in :) 

Okay lets be real.. I'm honestly just avoiding what I really need to be doing... reworking a presentation. 

What presentation you ask.. Oh one that I signed up to give about a year and a half ago... then COVID happened.. I thought I knew what I signed up to talk about..something told me to check the description in the conference book.. yeah good thing.. here I sit reworking a presentation.. No stress right?? Umm.. I need to have presentation sent in to conference people by August 23.. yeah no pressure.. 

Also need to do the training for the ESL Screener for Kindergarten (have had access for about 2 weeks details) I've been told that takes up to 3 hours to do.. Then get to screen a few kiddos... 

Get to do a training for work on sex trafficking (thank you state legislature) yeah that's a three hour training. 

 

Have several student observations to do. (yep 4 days into school though one is for an evaluation) 

Tomorrow night is Back to School Night.. fun times! :) :) Love seeing my families! 

 

Need to attend a friends father's viewing or funeral either Friday night or Saturday 3 hours away... 

 

Laundry - is laughing at me right now :) 

 

Well back to my presentation - it won't write itself

Explanation

 As I sit here wrapping up a few things tonight I realize that I need an explanation of a few things... 

Why do I have to beg and plead for class lists to not get them and have to wait for them to be officially published on the school website.. 

How is it that I don't have access to a new family's contact info in the data base as an administrator but yet the school nurses can get it.. 

While I get my gen ed counterparts have a TON on their plates.. but why do I have to wait up until the first day of school to get a copy of their schedule because that is when it has to be posted in the Google Folder? Oh and mind you not all make that deadline when they have had since May to get it in. 

Why can't those on staff remember what grades I and the other academic support teacher have? We haven't changed in 4 years... 

Dear staff- just because I don't tell you about a new student with a 504 plan doesn't mean that I don't know about it. 

I'm sure there will be more.. 

Start of the year

 Here in a week I start the beginning if year 20 of teaching. 

One of  these years I will remember that the stress at the start of the year is always insane and it always starts before school starts. I always say I have to forget the beginning of the year to make it possible to do it again each year..  ce 

This year picks up with where we left off it seems like... still in the midst of a pandemic. At the end of the school year we had great hope that this year would be better Time be told, it is worse than when we left in May. CDC has recommended that masks go back into place yet Indiana hasn't made the call to make masks mandatory again. It is going to be a long year with the pandemic.. 

It seems like this summer I couldn't really not stop checking in on work. Between potential new students, current parent complaint, WIDA testing information.. it just never seemed to stop.

This summer also had its tragedy. One of the incoming 2nd graders was killed in a car crash. Very sad. Other family members in the car survived, he did not. So so very sad..

Time to take a deep breath, buckle up and get ready to ride the horse again.. it's going to be a wild one. 

Day 170

 We are on day 170 of 180... Wow.. .never thought we would make it.. no guarantee for the next 10 days either.. 

At least it will be funny as all get out... 

Morning Carpool: I prop the inside doors open.. Spanish Teacher walks out the second set of doors and asks if I want them open.. No.. horn hasn't blown. She looks confused and walks away... 

• we have only been doing this 170 days and this isn't your first time on carpool
• we still question how much she understands of English
• and we wonder why she's not coming back next year

As coming into the building:

We deemed one of my aides the Pre-K wisperer... managed to get crying pre-k student to not only stop crying but start walking to his classroom  

When you see the assistant principal and school secretary running around with their walkie talkies already out.. its going to be a long day.. this is at 7:50 in the morning. 

It just gets better :)

Parent: Oh by the way I forgot to give M his meds this morning; I hope he won't be too much of a problem 

Me: Oh that makes sense... only had to threaten to take Humpty Dumpty away a few times.. we're all good. 

Teacher: Ha Ha! That may explain the screeching condor sound he has been making,

 

Later in the morning... 

 

Max B.. sitting at my table.. "He's going to be naked here in a minute" (as Charlie V was walking in the room) Good think I looked up- Max was referring to taking the sweat protector off his water bottle... 

 Giving students a minute of down time... Liam... yeah its the daddy's that make the baby's... me.. WHAT WHY??? Oh we are just the cool boys... yeah okay... um new topic. 

 

4th Grade Science test 

 

O- How do you spell attracted

 

Me- good thing I know you are working on a science test or I would be worried.

 

Me: Yes C I am completely crazy

 

C: No you are completely and utterly crazy and out of your mind.. 

 

Me.... true fair point :) 

Reflection part 2

Continuing down memory lane...

Today one year ago, March 13, 2020, was another one of those life changing/ defining moments. (as for many people)

As an educator I walked out of my classroom at 3:30 thinking I would be back in a couple weeks. (as did many around the state) Little did we know that it would be for the last time of the 2019-2020 school year. When the school year was ended by the governor of Indiana, it made the pandemic so much more real. It also left teachers with the feeling of not having closure to the school year that we so need and want every year. Yes we had virtual but it wasn't the same. We are creatures of habit and mourned just a little for not only what we lost but what our kids were loosing.

However - the State of Indiana saw what we as educators are truly capable of doing in 48 hours. We were able to completely switch mid gear to completely virtual learning without any road map of how to do it, we just did it. Teachers - we get the job done!

Was it pretty - probably not

Was it bumpy - yep for sure!

We got it done despite it all!!

A year later I can say that we all have learned a lot, grew a lot and shed a few tears along the way. We are better for it all. I am also privileged that I have been able to be at a school that has been in person learning since August. We approach the 4th quarter with amazement that we have come this far.

As we enter the 4th quarter - we are met with spring break and statewide testing. We hope and pray that it all goes smoothly. No matter what though, we are educators and we got this!

 

Reflection

 

Every so often we can pinpoint a time or a day that our lives changed, a defining moment in your journey of life. Sometimes at that moment you know the impact it will have on you other times it takes time and reflection to see and understand the full impact. 

 

One year ago today (March 12, 2020) was one of those days. We as a teaching staff learned that the local school district was ending in person learning until the end of their spring break due to Covid 19 With guidance from the Bishop, we as a school staff were going to follow the same plan of the local school district and be out until the end of spring break. 

 

The day was spent trying to work out the logistics of how this would all work, hoping that it would just be short term. Little did we know what was to come..

While I have been able to remain safe this past year, it hasn’t been easy. Nor has it been easy for anyone. For myself and the staff I work with know and understand it takes a village for sure. Not only do our actions affect our health but the decisions that our students and others make affect our ability to continue to remain healthy and have in person learning. 

 

The state of Indiana will open the state vaccine portal on Monday for teachers of any age to get their vaccine. I am very grateful for this, as the possibility of getting the vaccine through the Federal Government program was looking grim. I am hopeful that I will be able to get the vaccine sooner rather than later so that I can do my part to help. (Please note.. I am not here for a vaccine debate. If you choose not to get the vaccine, that is your choice. I feel that this is the best choice for me.)

Excuse for being absent

This may be the best excuses I have seen for why someone is absent

"aches and pains possibly related to athletics" aka, working on his Youtube channel

Reasons not in attendance

 So why is your student not here today? 

No reason, she is fine, she will be back tomorrow. 

Cat died

Laughing all the way

 OT: - When I come next week to do my evaluation, I will need a room with a table and a couple of chairs.

Me: Got it.. (Cause you know we are a school and don't have that)

Me: I see that you didn't include G's classroom teacher in on the Zoom invite so I forwarded it to her. 

Psych: Why did you do that?

Me: So that she can participate in the meeting

Psych: Oh they come? I wasn't aware of that?

Me: Then who were you going to have sit in? 

Psych: One of the teachers from student's home school (who hasn't even met the kid)

 Me: um yeah no. G's classroom teacher will be in on the conference since she actually knows him and works with him on a daily basis. 

 

KDG Teacher - yeah I just want G identified so I'm not held accountable for his lack of progress. If he is identified then I have justification for lack of progress. I can also show it to admin to get more leverage for what I want. 

 

I am also not the staff member that you need to justify when you are going to mass. Don't care. Don't need to justify when you are going or not going. Not my business nor do I care. 

Not for the weak

 No matter what type of school you work in, no matter the city.. this job isn't for the weak... 

This week... 

• 2 parents have reached out to me to say that their children are failing spelling. The first one didn't want her name mentioned. Oh don't worry it won't be. Come to find out the teacher wasn't providing accommodations for one and it's questionable that she was for the other. 
• First parent was like oh but the teacher does so much for him I don't want her to have to do more or think I am upset.. Oh no.. she has to do her job and she has a grade level aide and a sped aide at 9am no excuses there
• Second parent was like oh well I'm sure she will do better next quarter
• Teacher insists that student has CP and gets pissed when I won't talk to mom about it. Um.. I'm not a doctor nor do I have that medical background so no I'm not having that conversation. Also pissed when I said he needs to have consequences for pooping his pants. She says he can't help it. Oh he can if he can not do it in her class and does it in specials and lunch. Made excuses for everyone else
• Teacher points out that he can't see to read his worksheets. 
• umm are you enlarging his worksheets you know according to his 504 plan.. her response.. I love you but I don't have time to do that. I have 24 other kids with 12 of them learning from hom right now.. 
• Went to go get worksheets to enlarge... Do you really want to do this? Me: No but I don't have a choice here so give me the worksheets
• Returned on 11x18 paper Teacher - oh we have paper that size... No its your imagination 
• I have been told that based on where two kids are at at the end of the nine weeks, teacher is going to admin to insist that two students are retained or a one on one aide much be hired for the two students. 
• um yeah not going to happen 
• Got to hear complaints that all the sped kiddos got put into the same room along with the all the kids that have ADHD and that we really need to rethink how we do class placements
• umm there are 4 sped kiddos the others I have nothing to do with I have no idea how they all got put in your room 
• I get that it is not fair that all of the younger grades have a full time aide and you don't but that doesn't mean that you get more time than they do just because you don't like the make up of your class. 
• Had a TOR record question eligibility og OHI because of ADHD because we don't have the medical diagnosis
• obviously you didn't read the report as you would see what data we used to qualify
• it was the school psych  that recommended it due to the data that we had. 
• I get that public school TOR has all the time in the world to meet because she only has half of her kids in the building but that doesn't mean that I have the time to drop everything so that we can have a 30 min conversation about a student that you will never see.
  

Sainthood

 2nd Grade working on a high frequently worksheet

M -playing with a set of keys on the table.. "Oh look there is a whistle"

N- I dare you to blow the whistle 

Me- if you blow the whistle you are both going to get a yellow behavior sheet

M- I'm not playing with the keys... as he is touching the keys

Few minutes later.. 

M- Hey look! Mr. S is a saint!!! 

Me What?

M - See... (pointing to a little figure on the key chain that looks like a priest) Mr. S is a saint.. 

Me. well okay then

Same class... watching videos on counting by threes and fours.. students dancing... one is doing the Macerana ...  ummm yeah not even close to the right rhythm but okay.

Grant me strength

 Pandemic has hit where I work.. and people have lost their minds.. 

• upset that test was negative and then positive
• upset by the number of "close contacts" as determined by health department
• have been told that kids still need sports despite this how this happened
• parent emailed saying that student isn't coming to school today she is going to do online learning (umm this isn't really an option unless you have a medical reason you just can't choose)
  
• been told that kids should come to school even though they aren't sick they need to be at school 
• told don't care if the have the illness send them to school, no worse than what they normally come to school with 
• can't trust the process or system 
• this whole thing is overblown 

 

Have two students who are a bit lower academically in one class. Asked by the other teacher in grade level if because of those two students, were the weaknesses and inabilities of other students missed because these students need far more help last year

• No - there was an aide in previous grade  level helping out, I was in there as well. All kids got what they needed 
• some kids struggles just show up later than others do 

Teacher wants me to help her solve the problem of student having pooping accidents when not in her room. 

• Teacher thinks he can't help it, I think there is some element of choice I'm the one that i wrong according to teacher 
• Teacher insist that he has Cerebral Palsy wants to tell parent now. I told her I'm not qualified to have that conversation with parent as I am not a medical professional 
• teacher is basing it on what she sees and what she knows of CP

Teacher wants me to solve the problem that student can't see anything 

•     Did you read his 504 plan? It says to enlarge his work
• I love you bit I can't do that. I have 25 students 14 of them doing learn at home I just don't have time to do that
• Well give me what you need enlarged and it will get done
• Oh wait you also have an aide in the room for the majority of the day.. she could do that as well 
• I can't fix what parents won't deal with  

Tried to work with student in group setting for 20 minutes on multiplying decimals. Student didn't get much out of it because she was upset about her homework grade, that others were going to see her homework grade and that she was going to fail the test tomorrow. 

• umm... I just went through the entire homework to reteach it
• Parents - we aren't making excuses for her any more but we are giving her more responsibility with doing her work on her work and can you make sure that she checks her own work for mistakes. 

Student had nebular meltdown in specials today - wasn't surprised it was coming all day  

• end of the day - music teacher gives me a blow by blow of what happened and what she and the class did to help student and wanted to know what to do to help him 
• IGNORE THE BEHAVIOR
• said she and class eventually ignored it, but wanted to make sure that she did everything right.. yep sometimes easiest step: IGNORE THE BEHAVIOR