Ready or Not....

Ready or not, Thursday, the kids will come.

Ready or not, I will have to appear that I AM ready!

It is not yet 3 a.m. and I can't sleep.  I feel like I won't be ready.

The first few days and weeks of a new school year are filled with rules, expectations, teaching of procedures/routines and I don't feel like I know myself what they will need to be.  How will I teach them to my students?

BUT, Miss W is a great assistant and was in the same room last year; she has and will be my crutch.

Miss T, my other assistant, holds a Special Education teaching endorsement in another state.

One of my students will have a "BHA" with him every day.  Never heard of them.  I think it stands for Behavioral Health Assistant.  He has two of them, but only one each day.

Right now, our adult to child ration is 1:1

I (we) will do fine.  I will be flying by the seat of my pants.  This isn't my first pony ride, I (we) will do fine!

But still, I am tossing and turning, mind racing100 miles per hour.

I will be trying Essential Oils in the class, so we will see how that works.  People do walk in my room and often mention how nice my room smells.

I drank warm milk while typing, I am going to crawl back in bed and see if I can catch a few more winks.

Falling into Place

Everything is falling into place quite nicely!

The teacher I replaced basically cleaned out the room.  Items that I've been told that were purchased with the school's money are gone.

A rug with roads that the boys loved to play with, was donated to the classroom (not the teacher) by one of the assistants, is gone too!



Replacement play rug - approved by Abby
(I think I might need to wear my readers when taking pictures with my phone!)

On one hand, I have a clean slate, I get to start with my own stuff.  On the other hand, I have to purchase or make my own stuff.  I am over $400 in setting up this classroom.  I am hopeful that at least some of the money I am spending will be reimbursed by the school.

Thankfully I do work at a great school and teachers have been giving and/or loaning me books, toys, and other items.  My assistants are WONDERFUL and cutting out and laminating items I've made for the classroom.

Pictures to come!

Back to the Grind

I have been heading to school and my new classroom all week, but today is the official first day teachers return to the classroom.

I will post pictures, have been taking them, some a little fuzzy.  My fault for not putting on reading classes on to check the focus of the pictures.  Before I post pictures I would like a finished picture of the classroom.

Returning to school as a teacher each fall isn't much different than returning as a student.

I am in an "ED Classroom" which means I have kids that have a difficult time making good choices with their behavior.  I have to be trained on how to hold/restrain students if needed as well as how to properly carry a child that is out of control.

I have a "de-escalation room" where kids who are "out of control" are placed, with a lock on the outside to keep them in until they have regained control.

Will the kiddos be as crazy this year as last year?  Will they be screaming and having temper tantrums several times a day, or will they be calmer this year? Will my 16 years of work with children in treatment for emotional and/or behavioral disorders help me create a calm classroom?

I can only hope!

  

Non-scale Victory

I guess before I share my non-scale victory, I should fill you in on my doctor's appointment.

Yes, I do need a hysterectomy.  I will get it in September and could be off work for up to 8 weeks.  My doctor was surprised the fibroids hadn't been caught last year at my annual.

So, today, I was at the barn filling in one of the other volunteers on what I had learned at my doctor's appointment when one of the barn workers came up and joined us.

I briefly shared why I had to have a hysterectomy, and that my uterus was enlarged to the size of a 5 month pregnancy. 

She said "OH!  Well now that all makes sense!  You are very physically fit everywhere except your belly and I just couldn't figure it out!  I didn't think you were pregnant, but I wasn't going to ask!"

Yay!  Despite my tummy being 3 sizes larger than my hips, I still look physically fit!

Now if I could eat more than 1/2 a cup of food with out feeling full.  It wouldn't be bad if I felt satisfied, I just feel hungry and stuffed!  

Did She Really Say That?

Post marriage name change continues.  

This morning I was making phone calls to my credit card companies.

After changing my name on my Kohl's card/account, the gal tells me.....

You will receive your new card with your new name in a few weeks.  In the mean time, you can use your card with your old name, just show them your driver's license to verify it is you.

????

How will THAT work when my driver's license is in my married name and my Kohl's card is in my maiden name?

"Just tell them your Social Security Number."

As I write this, now I'm wondering if our SSN's are in view to the cashiers.....