I am not having a good day at all. I go back to work today to discover that I'm being suspended from teaching. My rage over this cannot even be explained. For those of you who follow my blog,  remember when I had to take the CTEL exam for the State of California to prove I was proficient enough to teach English Language Learners even though I already had certification elsewhere? As you all know, I passed the exam back in March. I let every flipping member of the admin staff know I passed. They all sat on this information (for several months) until they were audited by the state and it was discovered that this exam had not been added to my credential. I'm told that I need to go add this about two weeks ago. Nobody said this was an emergency. Nobody said that if it wasn't done I wouldn't be teaching. It was, "Hey Miss. B....when you get a chance, can you go down to the county office and have them add the test to your credential?" I had scheduled to go do this actually today once I had got back in from London. There was no official notice from the district. There was no official letter from the State. Oh no..instead I am informed by the Assistant Principal that because the paperwork wasn't turned in last Friday, I'm now suspended and have to leave campus. It is now three hours later and I feel like I've been kicked in the head. To make a long story shorter, I sorted out the paperwork and will be back on campus tomorrow for the last day of school.

             I've really had it with this district. They have made my year a year from hell with administrative screwups. Since I have the day off, I'm job hunting. Yes, that's right...I'm looking for a new teaching position. I no longer want to work for a district that has not kept up its agreement with me. I've done everything I said I woud do and then some to make their program successful the first year they took it back. They have failed me on every level with a lack of training for my aides, a lack of professional training for me, competent administration in Special Education, a lack of any kind of medical help when accidents happened, a lack of bringing in a substitute when my aides were out so that I wasn't working short-handed, making me do all the admin duties as far as IEPs were concerned-get parential consent to test, setting up the meetings, cooridnating meetings with all parties and then getting to write the entire things, no field trips as promised, and just a lack of the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing. The thought of going back next year to a classroom of 12 students (that's yet to be settled as well) that are 70% Kindergarten with the majority of them being 4 instead 5 years of age until late in the year alongside 8 year olds and trying to have any kind of classroom cohesion is one that actually makes me start to have anxiety attacks.

           I have never felt so down as I do today. I now understand why so many new teachers don't make through the first five years of teaching. All I know is that I have to find another position or I am going to be very unhappy. As I said to a friend, " If a job (whatever field it might be in) causes you so much undue stress, then it is better to write that letter of resignation and not look back".  I know the work I do is stressful and that just goes with the job. However, when administration cause you that much more stress that could have been eliminated in the first place, then it is time to go.

           So if anyone knows of a job in Special Ed-Moderate/Severe in Ca...email me :)

 

 

      I haven't updated Old Tom's travels for awhile so here is where he has gone:

 

27. Ann Arbor, MI

28. Acomo Pueblo, NM

29. Cape Giradeau, MO

30. Elephant Butte Lake State park, NM

31. Blissfield, MI

32. Buffalo National Park, AR

33. Great Smokey Mountains/Hixon, TN

34. Cloudcroft, NM

35. White Sands, NM

36. Natpaktos, Greece

37. Old Town Albuquerque, NM

38. Carlsbad Caverns, NM

39. Sandia Peak, NM

40. Tirana, Albania

41. Lisbon, Portugal

42. Nashville, TN

 

Just to let everyone know, all my students can find every state and country we've received postacards for so far. Thank you all for your help! We can now find 17 States and 14 Foreign Countries.

 

 

                              Those of you that are faithful readers of my blog have to come to know that my Janie is handful. She has tested every boundary and every nerve this year. However, it's the last month of school here and she's the only one that I haven't named as Student of the Month. I thought about this long and hard because she really hasn't been the most upstanding student as far as that goes. She is though leaving at the end of the year to go on to a different school in my district with a new teacher because of her age. I thought that she's probably never been named Student of the Month and she may never be likely to be given that honor again. So, I bit the bullet and named her Student of the Month. Now as it has been all year, naming one of mine Student of the Month is the kiss of death. As soon as you do, that student has a melt down and you are left wondering what ever possessed you to pick that child in the first place.

                           The proceedure for Student of the Month is that the children that are picked go into the cafeteria where they are treated to ice cream and punch while coming up to receive their certificates in front of parents. I was just praying that Janie would be on her best behavior. I went with her because her mother did not come. Janie was truly tickled to be Student of the Month. She actually sat there through the whole ceremony being quiet and courteous. When it was her turn to go up and get her certificate, her eyes got real big and a huge grin swept across her face. She shook the hand of the Vice-Prinicipal and turned to face the crowd. She stood there just beaming and a tremendous wave of pride came over me. I knew I had made the right choice in giving her a chance at this honor. After the certificates were handed out, she came over to me and said, "Awesome B". I smiled and walked her back to class.

 

 

 

                     Last night my school held it's Open House night. And for the sixth year in a row, I had absolutely no parents come. My first few years of teaching I used to take this personally because I would knock myself out to make my room beautiful plus showcasing my students' work.  My room was once again one of the most beautiful on campus (I'm the Martha Stewart of Special Ed) but this year I didn't rush about killing myself. I had slowly started the process about a month ago. I joke about no parents coming now because it just gets so disappointing that nobody gives a damn about coming to see what their kids are learning here. I was set off last night though by a written little comment left on my desk by the Assistant Superintendent. I'm sure she tried to mean it as a compliment but I took offense. She said, "Thank you for the wonderful expectations you have for our students". Well flipping duh! You shouldn't be teaching if you don't have expectations. What I've been fighting here all year is that I'm the only one that actually thinks (and then proves) my students can learn. Everyone has this impression that all my kids can do is string beads, fingerpaint and pick their noses. Argh!!!!!!!!! That just frosts my cookie so much. Just because you label a child with mental retardation doesn't mean you have to make them live up to it. Maybe I'm wrong but isn't education about teaching and transcending the lables we apply? I know I'm walking down a lonely road here but I'm not going to let my students' potential (whatever that may be) go to waste out of discounting them from the start.

 

 

 

                        It went from winter to summer here in the blink of an eye. (It's literally 100F outside at the moment) Once this weather change happens here, my students stop listening. It is guaranteed every year to happen. This is my aides' first experience with it and they aren't too thrilled. I'm not either but at least I know it is the natural course of events.

                  Today was just an awful day. Nobody could keep their hands to themselves and I was on almost everyone today about something. The morning recess was a nightmare and when everyone came in, I busted out lecture #201-"Miss. B's Number #1 Rule" speech for all to enjoy. For those of you that don't know, my number one absolute rule is keeping your hands and feet to yourself-i.e. no hitting, slapping, pinching, scratching, kicking or anything else you can think of doing with those body parts. I start in on, "I see we are having some trouble at recess treating each other nicely. What is Miss. B's Number #1 Rule"? I look around and see nothing but blank stares. Fabulous. I then have to state again for 322nd time Rule #1. I start in about keeping your hands to yourself and the things you cannot do with them. I then move on to the feet. I say, "Part of Rule #1 is keeping your feet to yourselves too. This means no kicking". Then all of sudden before I can go on with the lecture, Ricky pipes up. He says, "That means there is no kicking Samuel in the testes". I don't even miss a beat and say to Ricky, "That goes without saying" and try to go on. However, out of the corner of my eye, I see Mrs. Jackie, Miss. Carmen and Mrs. Patty cracking up and I start to lose it. I was trying so hard not to laugh. I had to turn my back to the class and tell them to go get their materials while trying not to break out into complete laughter.

              

 

 

 

                    I have been working my butt off to write up four triennials and three annual IEPs which I am doing tomorrow with parents. I am worn out and fighting off another sinus infection gifted to me by one of my students. Today Janie decided to have the worst case of PMS /Torture Miss. B. I've seen for awhile. This morning she asked to use the bathroom and I stupidly said she could go on her own. I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Instead I am alerted by one of the playground aides that Janie is milling around in the halls and wandering in and out of other classrooms. I flip. I'm tired already and now this. I start to walk down the hall to find Janie and she sees me. She takes off to the bathroom while I'm in tow. I make it to the girl's bathroom and I'm sure half the campus could have heard me read Janie the riot act. I get her back to class and I'm still steaming. Ricky again starts on me for getting after his girl. I look at him and say, "When Janie makes a good choice, then you can say something to me. Right now Janie has made a bad choice". He quickly figures out it's time to shut up for the moment.

               Then after recess, I start a game of memory. Things are going fine and everyone has calmed down. I hear Janie say something to Mrs. Jackie which was very unclear and she has Mrs. Jackie agree to it. I see Janie dancing in her chair looking very happy which means she's just pulled something over on Mrs. Jackie. I ask Janie to say again what she just said. This time I and Mrs. Patty hear at the same time, "Samuel is stupid...ok"? I got after Janie. Mrs. Patty got after Janie and then Mrs. Jackie got after Janie for pulling a fast one on her.

             The icing on the cake came after lunch. Janie had a bit of a tolieting accident and needed to change her underwear. Mrs. Jackie took Janie down to the bathroom since Janie is now no longer allowed to go solo. Janie is in the bathroom changing her panties as she is able to do on her own. Mrs. Jackie is waiting for her outside. All of a sudden a pair of underwear complete with "skid marks" comes flying out of the bathroom. There is Janie tossing her underwear without shame. Mrs. Jackie is horrified and makes Janie come pick them up to put in the plastic bag she's brought along for that reason. Janie cackles all the way back to class and then laughs about it again as Mrs. Jackie is telling me what happened. I think I just looked at Janie with my "I can't believe you just did that look"  and shook my head. I keep thinking of the phone calls I'm going to get next year from Janie's new teacher and I smile. This is what keeps my spirits up on a day like this.

 

 

 

                      Janie had started off early on me today during Super Story. I had the kids tell me what they would buy their moms  for Mother's Day if money were no object and then illustrate what they had said. Janie told me that she wanted to buy her mother a red, blue and purple car. I thought ok but didn't say anything since this was her story not mine. Then it came time to draw the item and Janie started to get mad at me. I usually try to draw something from the story on the white board so the kids have a visual for comprehension. I drew Lorenzo's diamond necklace, Raymond's yellow bird and Gricelda's flowers. Because Janie was throwing such a fit, I drew her car. I gave it red, blue and purple stripes. She took one look at it and basically told me it was ugly. I looked at her and said, "If you can do better, show me". Everyone is a critic in my room--Geesh! Janie goes back to her table still throwing fit over my drawing when I hear Ricky pipe up, 'Hey...leave my girl alone". I give him the teacher scowl and think to myself that all my kid have PMS today.

                   Then I'm out on recess duty with Miss. Carmen. There are a couple of little boys running by with bags of Hot Cheetos they just bought from the snack cart. I'm praying Janie doesn't see them but it's too late. She comes up to me pointing and talking in her own brand of special language. I know what she's saying because I've seen the Cheetos too. I tell her that she needs to tell her mom to give her a dollar tomorrow so she can buy some snacks. This is not the answer she wants and she proceeds to growl at me. Then as clear as day she says, "Give me a dollar now"! I'm thinking  to myself I'm going to have to hurt the Speech Pathologist later for teaching her correct articulation. I say to Janie, "I might have given you some money but since you asked me so rudely, no way sister". She growls again and sticks her hand out once more as if that is going to change my mind. I tell her to go play and she walks away cussing me out in her gibberish.

 

 

                         

 

 

 

                      The heat has hit here (It was 93F today) and the kids are crabby. Janie actually called me a dork today when I wouldn't let her be lineleader since it was  Kalep's turn.  

                    Ricky hit Samuel  in the lower part of his anatomy. We knew this because Samuel came walking up to Miss. Carmen to tell her this with his hand grasped firmly around his penis through his clothes. Miss. Carmen rounded up Ricky and asked him if he hit Samuel. Ricky replied quite forcely that he did. Samuel must have really pissed him off. I missed all the action. Then Miss. Carmen told Ricky he needed to apologize. Ricky suddenly went into Ricky mode and said, "Samuel has a pain that goes from his head all the way down to his testes". Miss. Carmen, who is fairly proper, was stunned. She said "Intestines Ricky...intestines", trying to throw Ricky off the track. However, once Ricky has lached onto an idea, there is no going back. He kept pointing out Samuel's testes all recess long much to Miss Carmen's chagrin.

 

 

 

                               I came to school today in a not so good frame of mind over my aide. When I got into town, it was completely deserted. The only place open was McDonalds. I only had two kids missing and both of them were at doctor's appointments. The rest of the classes ran half empty. I decided that if the dollar store was open in town that we would do a little shopping today. We went to get bubbles. I figured we might as well have a fun day on top of all the drama. We get the kids all ready to go and low and behold up shows my aide. I say nothing but it's understood who won the battle. Actually, I'm glad she showed up because her job was in jeopardy.  I act like it's another ordinary day. And truthfully, it was.