What the new year brings

Into my second year of teaching. Well they certainly do make the first year easy on a gal. I mean I only had 3 classes on my own, had 5th off (the lunch period so I have 1.5 hours to myself in the middle of the day), a total of 20 students, and 17 case manager students (half of which were in one of my classes) and coached a debate team of approx. 8 students.

This year I have 4 class periods (5 different sections), 7th off (the last period of the day), 36 students, 26 case manager students (only 1 is in one of my classes), and coaching a debate team of 24.

Did I mention one of my case manager students is blind? That takes up my conference period every day. So when exactly am I expected to write lesson plans, pull worksheets, copy worksheets, grade papers, call parents, and do paperwork on my other 26 case manager students?

Also, new state laws require me to do a heck more paperwork than last year for my case manager kids. Luckily, my son has been home with strep for 3 days, so I am practically done with all IEP writing for the entire year. Too bad our software that we use for that is only available on campus...guess I'll have to get that done in my invisible time...

But onto happier things:

1. Jill Mansell's new book was released, "To the Moon and Back". SO far so good.

2. Completed "The Luxe" series by Anna Godbersen and read "Bright Young Things", the first in a new series by Anna. Currently have "Beautiful Days" on hold at B&N.

3. Started another series, "Paranormalcy" by Kiersten White. Ready for "Supernaturally", need to pick that up later today.

4. "Son of Neptune" also ready to pick-up at B&N. The second in the Lost Hero series by Rick Riordan.

5. My TV schedule is filling up quickly. Here are the shows I am currently watching:

• Sunday: Desperate Housewives, Pan Am, Once Upon a Time (coming soon) 
• Monday: Terra Nova, Gossip Girl, The Playboy Club, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men
• Tuesday: Parenthood, One Tree Hill, Ringer, Body of Proof, Glee, New Girl
• Wednesday: Up All Night, Free Agents, Harry's Law, Happy Endings, Revenge
• Thursday: Community, Parks & Recreation, The Office, Whitney, The Big Bang Theory, The Secret Circle, Charlie's Angels, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice
• Friday: Grimm (coming soon)

        If I am missing any shows...well I think you get the picture as to how much time I spend watching TV :)

I am still seeing the same guy, nothing new to report. We're now into 2 years together, and we pretty much act like an old married couple (he routinely wants to go to Luby's for dinner, and is incapable of folding his own laundry). We're happy, but sometimes I feel like we're stuck in the same place, not moving forward. I know I should talk to him, but I hate talking about my feelings. I tend to cry. I hate crying in front of people. So thusly, I have not brought it up. I hope I can convince myself to actually do it soon.

That pretty much sums it up. Til next time. XO

Ahhh 10 weeks off

So I am into week 2 of my 10 week vacation. Being a teacher is great. I'm getting paid, but I don't have to wake up at 5am and convince teenagers that math can be fun. On the downside, I don't get to see my debate kids at all...

So I am tutoring 2 kids 3 days a week, coaching a debate class once a week, and taking ballet and tap classes this summer. And Kiddo is in soccer this summer, so once a week I get to sit outside in the heat while he runs around and kicks a ball. But he is SOOO cute in his soccer gear so its worth it.

Going to the zoo Friday with a friend and her daughter. I love the zoo now that it has some shade added in and has ice cream. In case you were wondering, the Houston Zoo has THE BEST chocolate ice cream I have ever had.

So what else is going on? Oh yes, Kiddo is into week 2 of swim lessons and still won't stick his whole face into the water. I may need to take him to the pool and dunk him in a few times until he realizes that getting his face wet won't kill him.

Been using Blockbuster's June promotion. Rent 1 movie with a blue dot, and you can exchange it for movies without a blue dot as many times as you want until July 15. Yay movies!

Oh yes, and technically I am still with the same guy...although I haven't spoken to him in over a week. The thing is, I just don't know how I feel about this whole situation. Sometimes he is really sweet and attentive, and other times its like he's counting the minutes til I leave. And no matter how he acts, whenever I leave him I cry almost the entire way home. So 2 weekends ago after I left him, I took some time to think. Did I tell him I needed time to think? No... I just didn't reply to his texts...one on Monday, and another on Tuesday. Then he left for Vegas. Again. Also again not asking if I wanted to go. How am I supposed to feel about that? I mean he is going to play poker. He says that is all he is doing, eat, sleep, poker. But still, I sleep too. I also like eating. And I can entertain  myself while he is at poker, I'm not 12. SO here I am, he should be coming back today, and I have no clue where we are.

I know that I need to talk to him but I SO hate confrontations and talking about my feelings (possibly the only thing not girly about me). And may be staying in Vegas for the whole of June. He mentioned it but hadn't made a decision last time I had checked. And what if he does stay? What does that say?

So as you can see, I have too many things to think about when it comes to him. So I prefer to read my Sherlock Holmes Complete Illustrated Edition (on my new Kindle), and watch movies and therefore avoid having to think about my own life for a little longer.

Am I delusional? No. I know avoiding it won't fix anything. But while he's not here, I don't want to think about it. So now it's time to go back to the Game Show Network and tell the contestants they are idiots for not knowing the answers :)

Life Update

So I really will try to update more often, I just don't really do all that much.

My debate team took home a trophy this past weekend. Yay!

Also giving out finals this week. So far no one is going to fail the semester. Having said that, I have one student whose final isn't until Friday who need to get a 100 in order to pass the class...not likely...so we'll have to see how it goes...

I'm still seeing the same guy as before. We're happy. Nothing dramatic. Still waiting til he has a job before deciding if I want to broach the "where are we going" talk. I mean, I don't know what he is like when he has a regular 8-6 job. I don't want to commit myself to someone who is perfectly reasonable now, but turns into a crazy workaholic who is stressed and has anxiety. I mean, who would want that???

So I'm happy for now.

Oh, started ballet class again. I am SOOOO sore today, but in a good way. I am planning to go Tuesdays and Thursdays from now on, so hopefully this will get my metabolism moving.

Next step, go to the gym on non-ballet days. Since I hate weights, and running in front of complete strangers in shorts...this is not likely. But we'll see what happens.

I'm off to go pick-up the Kiddo from his new sitter's house and watch some more DVR shows.

Leave me a message to let me know you've been here. No feedback = no fun for me :)

Oh dear

Forgot to log in on Thanksgiving didn't I? Naughty Lorelai...

How was everyone's Hannukah/Christmas/Kwanzaa/Festivus (because surely if you don't celebrate any or all of the first 3 you celebrate festivus, right?

Let's see, my Grandma is mad at my mum and her sisters because they took away her checking privileges. So she's not sending anyone checks this year. Which was quite some news to pops who went out and bought 4 HD tv's and 3 Blu-Ray players because "there was no reasonable explanation why I shouldn't at those prices". Then we were informed that instead of checks, everyone would receive the savings bond she bought them in February, 1992. Yes, 1992. I had no idea she had done this. So instead of $500 for Christmas, my Grandma sent each of us (including my baby boy) a $1000 savings bond that matured in 1999. Which turns out was actually worth about $1300 when we cashed them. $$$$$$$$$

I did SOME shopping. Ok, maybe a bit more than some. But I did put some away into savings...

Anyway, so I had to give dad money for my tv and blu-ray since they were intended to be gifts "from Grandma".

Onto the good stuff then: inventory of Christmas (I am an adult and apparently do not get gifts from the family anymore, I don't particularly like this side of being an adult):

• 5 Kate Spade bangle bracelets
• Jewelry Box
• Just Dance 2 for the Wii
• 3 sets of 700 thread count sheets
• duvet cover set
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Theif on Blu-Ray
• Eclipse on Blu-Ray
• Beauty and the Beast on Diamond Edition Blu-Ray/DVD
• Tote bags from: The British Museum, Stonehenge, Paris, Rome, and Venice
• 750 GB external hard drive
• Lovely Yankee Candles
• Nine West Gift Card
• Old Navy Gift Card
• Jo-Ann's Gift Cards (2)

 Not too bad. I've already spent all of my gift cards on pretty little somethings, and went on a mini-spree through one of the teacher supply stores near me (there are 3, really not fair).

Oh yes, and the best part...I got an iPhone 4 today!!!!!!! It's so pretty...and I can actually take it into the Apple store if there is a problem. Lovely init?

And in case you're wondering, I've spent my Christmas break reading WAY to many books, most of which are written in the lovely UK and I have begun using random British words in my everyday life. So if you are reading this, please go out and buy "Holly's Inbox" by Holly Denham. Absolutely, wonderful!

Thank G*d for Thanksgiving

Been a bit busy over here since the school year started. I'll update later tonight, but I just have to say THANK YOU for reading my blog (as sporadic as my posts may be).

A whole week off! YAY!

Sometimes I Wonder...

Sometimes I wonder why the government hasn't started requiring adults to get a license before conceiving children. Now before you start to rant and rave, here is an example where that would have been most appropriate.

I have a student in my Algebra I class who hasn't been in school in a year and a half. He was pulled out of 7th grade by his mother halfway through the year. Why? Absolutely no reason. He was allowed to drink alcohol, do drugs, and be sexually active for instead of going to school.

So why is he back now? An acquaintance had an enlightened moment and decided that God had put these people in her path for a reason. She moved the boy into her home, got legal guardianship of him, and enrolled him in school. The mother was willing to check her son into Texas Youth Commission where he would have stayed until he was 18.

The acquaintance is now buying him clothes (a new thing for the boy), a backpack (he cried because he hadn't had one before), and keeps him fed. Sad really that these are things a child hasn't had before. She enrolled him in school and told him that if he wanted to stay with her and continue to be fed and well cared for that he had to graduate, quit the drugs and drinking, and behave himself completely.

Well, lets just say that behaving himself wasn't something he was used to doing. I was constantly having to redirect him since he wanted to talk instead of work. He constantly copped an attitude, and sometimes refused to do any work. 4 weeks of this and his guardian had enough. She packed up all his stuff and drove him down to his parents' house. They were not home at 10:30 at night on a weeknight because they were at a party. By midnight they made it home. They spoke to the guardian and said that they would drop him off at TYC on Monday. He they were done "raising" him. Well the boy cried and cried and begged her not to leave him there. He promised to be better behaved. That didn't last very long. The next week he was doing the same thing. So she threw his stuff in her car and drove him back to his parents. On the way he cried and cried and promised to behave himself better.

Apparently he was not used to someone who set rules and consequences and actually abided by them. After all this, he finally came back to school, apologized to me for his behavior and promised not to do it again. That was Thursday. Friday he actually was very calm and well mannered. I hope this actually will continue.

So as you can see, licensing wouldn't be an entirely bad thing.

Changes

Updates June-August:

• Last day of work was Friday June 25
• Saw Eclipse 3 times within a week of it opening on June 30
• Packed and moved myself and Kiddo back home by the end of July
• Went to 2 job fairs for teachers and got 5 job interviews
• Got 1 job offer within 2 days of the interview
• Accepted job offer within 12 hours
• Officially signed paperwork for job first week of August
• Sat through a lot of workshops and seminars as part of my new hire/new teacher training
• Found out my room wouldn't be ready until 3 weeks into the year
• Then found out my room was ready the Friday before the kids came back to school.
• My room was originally an office that now has to house 2 teachers, their desks, 12 student desks, a computer center with 5 terminals, 2 bookshelves, a file cabinet, and a locking cabinet.
• We feel like sardines, or some kind of science experiment
• Took 2 weeks to plan entire 6 weeks lesson plans
• Met kids
• Tried to forget some of the kids :)

I LOVE my new job. It has all the structure and support I was craving at my last job. It lacks some of the flexibility on a daily basis, but has more flexibility as far as family time and vacations are concerned.

I am now a teacher certified in Math 8-12 and Special Education EC-12. For those of you not on this side of the pond, EC stands for children between the ages of 3-6, and 12th grade is the final grade level in school before going on to college.

I have 3 classes of my own that range from 5-11 students, and I co-teach in 3 classes of 21-28. I am teaching 9th and 10th graders who need modifications to the regular classroom environment or curriculum. Now before you judge, some of these kids need a safe and supportive environment to succeed, and are at or above level for their grade. Some others just need a small teacher-student ratio in order to be able to successfully control their behavior.

That being said, they are all good kids. Some just need more help showing that than others.

Meet the Teachers night is Monday. An hour and a half of parents coming through and asking why a student is teaching the class.

Yes, that's right, I have been mostly mistaken for a student by both faculty and parents. I guess that will be a good thing when I'm 30 and feeling old. Right now it is frustrating to constantly have to draw attention to my ID badge showing I am a teacher.

That being said, my students certainly know that I am their teacher. I have mastered the art of disapproving looks (thanks to all that training by kiddo).

Speaking of whom, he has adjusted well to the move. And why not, he now has his grammy around 24/7 to give him what he wants. He got new furniture (my brother's old furniture), new bedding (Spongebob, G*d help me), and goes to one of my best friend's house for childcare everyday. She has a Wii, 2 dogs, 2 frogs, a fish, a bird, and 2 kids. He is most happy to be there. He is also going to school 3 hours a day, but the school has to provide transportation so he gets picked up from her house and dropped off everyday.

He is still in the process of potty training. He actually went 2 weeks of actually seeming to be potty trained. He kept a dry diaper, asked to go to the bathroom, and successfully went on the potty. All day, every day, even at restaurants and while playing the Wii. Then he suddenly stopped. I feel that it has something to do with the move and all the changes. But it has now been over a month since we moved everything down, shouldn't he be getting settled? He is also resisting going on the potty now. I am of the opinion that he will do it eventually. My mother has other opinions and has attempted bribing him. That's now exactly working...I tried to tell her it wouldn't :)

I'll do details about my teaching experience later, now its time to make sure I have submitted my grades for the first progress report, Oh boy!