I returned to work even though I shouldn't have done so because they couldn't get a sub to come take my class. I was approached by two people this morning to tell me how well behave my students were yesterday when they were invited to go see a puppet show in another classroom. This made me feel very good because that's the one thing I work so hard on all year-behavior. I suppose once again, the impressions that Moderate/Severe students can't behave is one that has been ingrained in a lot of people from other teachers that didn't inforce proper behavior. I was completely proud of my students but I also was amused in a way that everyone else was so impressed. That's the expectations I have of my students. I guess it all goes back to exactly that. You can expect that your students will behave and set the standard for them to follow. Then again you can have no expectations and then you have chaos. However, I am thrilled to know that even in my absence, my students followed those expectations.

 

 

                             I have spent the day off work here keeping my ankle iced and foot elevated as the doctor ordered. Apparently, my injury has caused a little comotion in my classroom as Mrs. Patty had to call me because Janie was having a fit. Janie wanted to talk to me. She got on the phone and told me to come to school right now. I told her that the doctor told me that I had stay home but I would be back tomorrow. Apparently this was not the answer she wanted. Mrs. Patty relayed to me that in the cafeteria Janie was crying. She told Mrs. Patty that her face hurt and she needed to go to the doctor like Miss. B. :) 

 

 

                        I have managed to somehow sprain my ankle. I was walking into my classroom yesterday morning to just get things open and lost my balance. This caused me to misstep and that's all she wrote. I felt a little pain but walked on the foot for a while. Then I could no longer put any weight on it. I had to have Mrs. Patty get me some ice and that's sort of how the day went with me hobbling and icing the foot. I went home and put my foot up, took some ibuprophren and iced it some more. I was hoping that it was just a minor strain and that when I woke up this morning it would be better. Unfortunately I still cannot put any weight on it plus there is some brusing by the front part of the ankle. Because I waited so long to see how my foot would do, I could not get a substitute to come teach in my place. So, I wrapped the foot, hobbled to my car and drove to work. I called my doctor (which is an HMO) and asked to have a nurse call me back to see if i needed to go in and have the foot looked at or just continue to keep doing what I am doing. I called at 7:30 am. It's now almost 12:30 pm. Good thing it wasn't a real emergency..geesh. Anyway, the kids are very concerned seeing their teacher hobbling around. Janie made me sit down while she tried to ice down my foot with the ice pack.  It was very sweet but a bit uncomfortable because she kept holding it too tight. Hopefully this too will pass or I'll be at school tomorrow on crutches. I know then that the kids will want to take turns playing with them or worse-turn them into weapons.

 

 

Author's note: The nurse finally called me at 4:30 pm and got me in to see the doctor. Yes, it's a good sprain and I've been sidelined for at least a day possibily two from working. Ugh! Oh well...I guess I can watch the England match now without guilt from my couch :) 

 

 

                           I am a rabid football fan (soccer) and every four years I live for the World Cup. I have managed to watch most of the matches thus far with the big exception of the USA vs Czech Republic game. I did have the streaming score going on the computer here in class to keep up with the match but was quickly devistated. I had downloaded a ringtone on my cellphone which goes, "Ole..ole..ole..ole...USA...USA". (I also have one for England as well) My phone rang in class this morning and my ringtone went off. All of a sudden, I see Samuel jump up out of his seat and start dancing around to the ring tone. Apparently Samuel is also a football fan. He had on his little socks with USA embroidered on them as well.

 

 

                          Things have been fairly quiet in Room 1 the last couple of days with the exception that Isaiah spilled a huge cup of red paint on my new rug. I knew it was going to happen but I decided to gamble. Good thing I wasn't in Vegas. I wanted to kill him, I really did. However I knew it was an accident. Patty and I scrubbed as much as we could. The janitor came in with a carpet cleaning machine and it looked like the spot disappeared. However, when I came back this morning, the spot had reappeared. I wanted to cry since the carpet was barely just six months old and we worked so hard to keep it clean. Isaiah came to school today with a bag of marshmellows  and some pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread) to share as a peace offering. You know must appease the school goddess of Special Ed and all. I could see he was very sorry.  What can you do? I asked the janitor if he could come back again today after the kids were gone and go over the spot once more. Hopefully that will do the trick before I begin to feel like Lady Macbeth.

 

 

                     All year long I've been joking that there is a black hole of gravity underneath my classroom because my students just fall out of their chairs randomly or somehow just get sucked down to the floor for no apparent reason. Today, gravity took hold again. However it was working in my favor. Janie decided to be a complete pill during the memory session today because we had a substitue aide working with us. You know-new person-must show off every bad behavior in the first hour-kind of thing. Janie had gotten up to walk around the table to flip a card over in the game. As she was passing me, she stuck her behind out at me, shook it and then slapped it as to say "Kiss my behind Miss. B". I immediately scowled at her which made her laugh. She continued around the table right in the middle of the black hole activity area and I swear hand-to-God down she went as if she had forgotten how to walk. I had to bite my lip to not laugh after I made sure she wasn't hurt. I then said, "See class, this is why we walk in the classroom". I couldn't resist.

 

 

                       I was waxing nostalgic a bit here and reading over the course of the year. I decided make a list of my favorite entries over the school year and here goes:

 

 

All of June 2005 (That whole section are the best stories of my first five years of teaching)

 

August 01-"And They Call My Students Special"

 

August 22-"Memory Wipeout"

 

August 26-"Today is PMS Day In Room 1"

 

September 12-"Fashion Week In Room 1"

 

September 28-"Squidward"

 

October 30-"School Ghost"

 

November 2-"Electrifying"

 

November 29-"A Room Full of Ricky"

 

November 30-"Dear Santa"

 

December 1- "Christmas Takes On A Zen Theme In Room 1"

 

January 21-" Memory Lapses In Room 1"

 

January 25-"Child Tossing"

 

February 09-"Jonesing For Hot Cheetos"

 

March 16-"The St. Patrick's Day Gaff"

 

April 04-"A Killer Tomato, Ray Charles and Bad Choices"

 

April 06-"A Lesson In Wedgie Giving"

 

May 15- "So Much For My Lecture"

 

 

                         On a more lighter note......

 

                         The day I finally returned to class, everyone was happy to see me with one exception. Isaiah was very confused. Apparently while I was away, the kids had a substitute teacher who had a very long and difficult last name that started with the letter B. Apparently, she called herself "Miss. B. " as well. I was told that Isaiah took one look at her and said, "Are you sure you're Miss. B. "?  Bless him. Then when he saw me he asked, "What's your name"? I, not knowing there was another Miss. B. said, "Um Isaiah hon..I've only been your teacher all year long...I'm Miss. B. " He looked at me very carefully and then said, "Are you sure"?

 

 

 

                      I just realized I've been blogging the course of a whole school year now about my adventures in teaching in Special Education. There have been some real funny moments and some very frustrating ones as well. I can honestly say though that my frustrations have nothing to do with my students. My parents and administration have driven me up a wall but never ever has it really been my students. I will admit in the beginning that Ricky was tough case and several of my other students were as well. (Janie comes to mind quickly)  However, they've all grown this year which has really pleased me. I only wish I could say the same about the adults I come across this year.

 

                   It's been a few days since my suspension and I'm still extremely angry about the whole thing. The head of Special Ed (the school psych) showed up the next day because I didn't show up for the IEP meeting that day to find out exactly what happened. (I was let back on campus the next day after I filed the stupid paperwork-how gracious of them) I first told her that since I was suspended from campus there was no way in hell I was coming back for an IEP. I then informed her exactly what was said to me and she got this look of horror on her face. She said according to what she knew and had been told that the NCLB (No Child Left Behind Requirements) were not due in until June 30th. She couldn't figure out what this other supposed deadline was and had never heard of it. Further more, she had not heard that I was going to be suspended. I also informed her that on my teaching evaluation I was given until June 2007 to pass the exam. If I had not passed, what would they have done? I also let her know that there was never a written notice sent to me by the district informing me of a deadline nor did I get a letter from the State of California informing me of a suspension if the paperwork was not in. I then let her know I spent the forced day off job hunting. My boss then told me to send an email to the Superintendent, the Vice-Superintendent, Human Resources and my Prinicpal to let them know what I had said to her. In a way, it's good because now I have a paper trail started. I'm owed an apology by those four people to begin with. Depending on what is said to me on Monday, I may be consulting legal advice.

 

              I'm due back on campus Monday to teach summer school with my kids. If it weren't for them, I'd have such a bitter attitude right now about the whole teaching profession. Actually, it I take that back. It just makes me hate anyone in administration that much more. This is why I will never leave the classroom to be an administrator. You automatically become an idiot once you move up. I would go back to the private sector first. Thank god I have all those years in the private sector working before going into education to fall back on should I ever just say, "Enough"! Right now...it's very tempting.