Pilot

Okay, so I got an e-mail for the committee leaders who are in charge of piloting our new Language Arts program. Hello, did I sign up for this??? No. I had to ask my principal, "Did you nominate me for this?" Her reply, "I thought you would be great for the committee and be able to give good insight". Nice compliment, but I don't have time for this AND to top it all off which grade level do I choose: Kindergarten or 1st, perhaps 2nd or 3rd, or 4th or 5th. Ahhh. Life of a teacher.

Funded

I got funded again. My 15th funding. I am up to $5500 just this year. Who needs classroom budgets when you have donorschoose.org. I LOVE THEM. Today's funding was for a color all-in-one printer and ink cartridges. Now, if I ever move can I take this with me???

Vacation anyone?

I am so ready to have a break. Not a three day weekend. A BREAK. I am tired of working all day, tutoring 3 days, and for the last 3 weeks 4 additional hours of training a week. I also do not like getting home at 8 pm when I left at 6 in the morning. Two more weeks of school and then a week off and then back to summer school. Come on Thanksgiving Break...

My car

I can't wait till the 28th to get my poor car back. We all need to be so careful in parking lots and this just proves that (woman pulled straight back into the aisle of the parking lot, clipping the back of the car). Paul has been so great about getting the car into the body shop and dealing with the insurance. AAA has been great too with all their prompt assistance. I however learned that I hate rental cars. Not the part, that I am grateful for having a car to go to and from work (Paul is driving it though), but that rental cars are dirty, smelly, small, and "Not my car". It really has shown me to appreciate my car and "things" God has given us.

Teacher of the Year- runner up?

Okay, so you saw the great letter that I got from my principal, I finally got why. She pulled me into her office to let me know that only one person had nominated one of our teachers for Teacher of the Year. Can you guess who was the person to nominated the choosen teacher of the year was? Yes, me and had I not, our principal would have choosen and she told me it was me! AHHHH. I nominated a person into my spot. Can you believe this? It was a sign. God knew it would go to my head. I keep telling myself that the runner-up (me) got $5000 from donorschoose donations this year. I should be satisfied with that.

Families: The Topic

I really took a lot way from service on Sunday. Here were some of the points I wrote down.

• Families matter to God.
• He will equip us to raise our children.
• Do we look at our children as blessings or roadblocks to our careers?
• God values children.
• They are our central part of our lifes mission.
• Would you want to be the child of a mother who says, "I had to put my life on hold for you."
• Mother's are called to mother and fathers are called to father.
• We need to think of time as a gift and not an inconvenience.
• Children are the greatest teacher's of all.
• When we have children, we worry more and more about our identify in the life of other's. We need to let go of this and worry only about what God thinks.
• Children are born full of faith. We only learn later to doubt.
• You will always be lost if you go with the flow.

Now I think I need to print this off and read it everyday.

Principal note

I have a principal who I would say doesn't pass out the kudos very often, but here was the surprise e-mail I received that she had sent to all my special education bosses. It's nice to have nice comments every once in awhile.

I just want you to know that [name of school] is so fortunate to have what I consider the best R.S.P. Teacher in the district. I have watched Lisa teach in the classroom, she is prepared, uses effective strategies to meet all of her students needs, the students love her because they are learning and they know that she cares about each and everyone of them. Lisa is organized at I.E.P.’s and extremely articulate. She is sensitive to parents needs and keeps them well informed. Lisa always goes the extra mile whether it is taking meeting minutes that no one else wants to do, writing mini grants to get materials for her students, working with students on her own time, etc., etc.

I just thought you should know what a shinning star we have on campus.

Teacher Moment

On the math worksheet today, one of my students had to write a written word problem for 4+6=10. Here is what she wrote: "Jenny has 4 work shits. She got 6 more work shits. How many work shits does she have now?" Kid you not. It was great. She is so sweet. My aide and I will point it out to her tomorrow and for sure she will be embarrassed.

Classes

I spent the last few days thinking, after a moment of insanity, why I nominated myself to take the worst class on campus. On Friday when I left, I thought I was taking the class. Then I got to Bella Bru with some co-workers and it was a no. Then this morning it was a yes and then this afternoon it was a no. I am drained from planning for that class and then not planning for that class. I can truly say though, that I am glad I do not have that class. I have my own class to worry about plus Open House, report cards, assessments, IEPs, behaviors, etc., etc. June 10th can not come fast enough. The only bad part, one week off and then back to summer school. Talk about waiting for a vacation. Maybe Thanksgiving????