welcome back kotter

It's good to be back online for a bit. I feel like it has been months since i last blogged... oh wait, it has! lol. Sorry ladies. I gave up my internet at home for a bit and have been avoiding getting it back on, but now I think I'm ready, besides I'm so behind on how everyone is doing.

Well, I can hardly believe we are in the middle of November. 2009 is nearly over?!? It's just crazy to think about where we were just one year ago. I mean we have really come a far way in just a short amount of time. I will say though, that pushing through this year without my girls right by my side has been different. I can't say how much I have missed having you all around. Although I am glad everyone is venturing out on their own, I am reminded often just how much you all mean to me. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I offer you all this:

Amanda: Thank you for being such a caring friend, and for helping to remind me each day that we all work better when we have the support of others. Not just to lean on for ourselves, but to reach out and support them along the way.

Bri: Thank you for being the anchor that you are. Thank you for your strength and perseverance, and thank you for helping me see the simple joys in life. You are a lovely person inside and out.

Kate: Thank you for your smile and good natured attitude about life. You inspire me to step out of my comfort zone and reach for the stars! Whenever I get nervous about taking a risk, I think to myself, "If Kate can move to Denver.... I can do certainly handle this situation!" So thank you for motivating me (even from a far).

And to Dawn: Thank you for reminding me to give thanks to a higher power each day. You remind me to stay centered and not take life for granted.

I know I haven't been very present these past few months, but I hope you all know how much you I appreciate each of you.

Thank you for being such super friends. :)

With Love,

cough cough cough

So I am fed up, tired, and now getting sick. You will be happy to know that I am going about life anyway. Even if I get swine flu, I will go to school. I wouldn't want to be yelled at for getting sick and leaving the kids. (LOL) I am feeling ok not great I have this lovely cough I can't get rid of. I don't know if that is making me less tolerable of people or if i am just sick of this push in dealing with other teachers who are not doing anything to help my kids. There are a lot of changes happening at my school this year and people are angry and annoyed. Anyway, BRI how is the job! (p.s. how did you get all those animals in your farm?) I am so sad that I didn't get to see you all. I miss you soooooo much and wish you worked with me again. Let me know about your lives!!

Amanda

thoughts, please!

okay ladies, i need your help.

here's the situation.

scheduling IEPs has been a nightmare for our child advocate, we've all been out so often on fridays with trainings that we can't have staffings. this of course means that we're nearly out of compliance with a bunch of our kids.
our child advocate has been working like crazy to make this work, and she is trying to have the IEPs on the thursday right before Halloween (the 29th). we have that friday (the 30th) off as a PD day.

ordinarily, none of this is an issue.

however, I'M DYING TO GO BACK TO CAMP. camp always has a halloween celebration with tons of kids, and i would LOVE to go. this would mean that I would have to take that thursday (the 29th) off in order to drive out to camp in time.

do i take the day off and make scheduling even harder, potentially putting our school out of compliance?

what do you think i should do?

JOB!

So i technically have a job.

West Bloomfield called me today and asked me to come in a fill out payroll information to be a sub para-educator. Then they told me on November 4th to come in for an interview to be a guest teacher.

PESG is still being mean and I do not have Oakland County on my sub list but West Bloomfield runs through PCMI instead. so YAY!

Talk to you later. Signed

The girl who finally has something to do with her days!

funny things

had a kid tell me i look like a cop in my sunglasses.


kids make me smile :)


i want to hear your stories!!!!


that is all.


love!

baby, it's cold outside.

yep.
snowed today.
the thermometer literally read 29 degrees on my ride home tonight.
go CO :)

though it was adorable scooting the little children onto the buses amidst the swirling flakes this afternoon. zipped up in their hoodies, small bodies would come up and hug me, often adding some comment such as "i like the snow," or "brrr, it's cold!". you know, something very profound in their minds. it never ceases to amuse me when i get hugs from strange children.

had a great moment today, teaching my interventions class. i don't remember why, but we all just burst out laughing, real laughter, for a solid two minutes. and i did think to myself, "this is why i love kids. this is why i teach. this is good."

so, faith reinstalled in the profession of teaching, i come to you all with a question. what kind of behavior systems did your sped teachers use last year? Adia, i got you girl. i know what Gwen used, but i'm wondering what Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Paulsen did to institute an effective behavior management system. i've got some ADHD kiddos sans meds that could really use a good system...so any insight would be much appreciated :)

ps. administered the woodcock today. didn't get to doitability. but you better believe i chuckled to myself all the same.

love you all, have a wonderful weekend, stay warm!

hello

YEAH KATE!!! let me know when and if i am not home i will try to come up to see you!!!! HEY I know you are all going to laugh at me... but remember the stupid project we did for SP. ED lit? with the 500 binders. I am looking for higher level stuff for my kids. If you are not using yours could you maybe send it to me.... DONT LAUGH! I KNOW YOUR LAUGHING!!! if not do you know or remember some of the sights for older kid decodable passages and words.


CRAZY (i know)

Thinking and Walking in CIRCLES!!!!!!!

So today is the first day in over a week that I have been home before 7. I leave the house at 6! So much is going on this week that my brain is spinning and people are starting to notice. I have lost, left and misplaced more books, papers, and sentences than I can to admit! We had parent teacher conferences on thursday and friday. Longest days ever. It was nice though, some of the girls invited me to go with for a late dinner thursday after conferences ended. This week we are starting interventions, doing guided reading, starting the wilson program(which has been postponed to next week cause I couldn't figure it all out on my own. I need to start it now, but training (which is required to teach it) isn't until the end of OCT and, i dont have all the materials! Dont we love school systems. I am dealing with kids who dont seem to have any retention of material as well! We are meeting with parents at length to figure that out cause the parents are unenvolved in the kids life it feels like when it comes down to what is important. my kid dresses himself (no coat, or umbrella, in short sleeves when it is 40 and raining) and packs lunch of marshmellows and cookies. And then I have my kids who are doing great and goals are only to keep at grade level and parents completely freaking out about progress! go figure. I also found out yesterday that I have to dismiss a kid from OT this week and they want it done yesterday, but i need to follow legal process which takes at least 2 weeks. I Love coming and going.

Anyway, I love and miss you! what are you girls doing for halloween? or beginning of november for me to come to EL. Kate are you coming home for winter???

Love and Misses,
Coming while going :)

so it goes...

do you just ever have days when you want to give up?

not saying i'm giving up. just saying, last week was hard. this week is shaping up to be much the same way.

god bless title one schools, but WHOA. commerce city is a whole different story from lansing. these kids, all they've got is the place they came from, and it sure isn't much. and they don't expect much from life. they DEFINITELY don't expect much from school.

okay, that's over-generalizing. some of my kids do want to learn.
but i've got this one kid. man, and all it takes is one. Adia, you know the ONE from last year. this year, it's another one. ugh. and he's just the icing on the cake of a multitude of behavior problems, attitudes, and learning disabilities. as well as a whole bunch of kids that aren't on my caseload. maybe i've bitten off more than i can chew with this one.

i love kids, but this district...some days it gets me down.

tomorrow - district walkthroughs. wahoo.

And let the games begin!

I am off on interviews the next couple of days.

Tomorrows interview is down the street. I could walk if i wanted to. It is for a sub para job in an autistic classroom (I believe).

Then Monday morning (IM STOKED ABOUT THIS ONE!!) I have to be up and outta the house by 730 to drive to Ypsi for a teaching position interview in a ECDD special needs classroom. IM EXCITED and not dreading the having to get up early.

YES i realize ya'll have had to get up early but im still sleeping when I want to so its a big deal to me. LOL!

Oh yea and there is a possibility of working as a teacher at a temple in oak park that is for ages 1 - 3 i believe. Needless to say that ZA endorsement is looking bright in my future. (the job in ypsi asked if i would be willing to go back for the ZA)

Im excited and exhausted.

Peace

sad story

my bathroom walls got graffitied today with some pretty obscene language while i was out at a training.

mood in a word: disheartened.


mildly funny: the words were misspelled.
love sped.

HELLO!

So today was much better. I started working with the kids a bit. Dealt with my first behavioral situation. Learned some great assistive technology! I got no more parent phone calls! I FEEL LIKE AN ACTUAL TEACHER!!!


Now if I can get organized! LOL :)

Z

HELP!

Okay so I am finding myself overwhelmed (what else is new :) ) What did you use for word work and phonics with the upper el kids. Any suggestions for teaching vocabulary and comprehension to kids who cant understand oral words, or really make pictures based on description.


AHHH I am so not used to upper el!!!! What did you use to get them through science and social studies!

I WOULD LOVE HINTS, WS, BINDERS, GOOD RESOURCE BOOKS! ANYTHING IS GREAT!

Any hints for inferencing/comprehension that works with ASD specifically?

OH and I just love parents :) grrrr....
Love you,
Drowning Diva

PS

Tonight I started to catalog all the books I own.

So far 448. That doesn't include any of my childrens books or childrens chapter books.

HOLY CRAP!!!!

The Perpetual Student

So I am still currently jobless but putting my name out there. This kinda sucks BUT I have found a way to make money until I start subbing or being a parapro. I am babysitting. YAY! I am watching two gorgeous girls named Mia and Zoe. They are 3 years old and 8 months old. I am hoping I can still babysit these two amazing girls and sub (if i dont get a job).

That is not the reason for this email though..as told by the title of this post.

I have decided to >>>>>>>> go back to school. I am going to be completing the ACE program to receive my Autism endorsement. I will be starting in January with the prereq course and then I will complete the four other courses (possibly 5) over the summer and possibly into the fall. I dont know but im going back thats for sure. And after that I will probably go back to state too.

Really what I have been doing is spending time at the library and reading when I am not shuffling myself to school districts or applying for jobs online. That is my life.

Talk to ya'll later.

The Perpetual Student

sunny sunday

whew.
what a whirlwind of a week! school is definitely keeping me hopping...quick abbreviated storytime here.
* i had a small child literally use the words "i don't write". i laughed and told him that he would be writing in my room. girls, it's war. this kiddo is a piece and a half of work. i'll win, but it may get messy...
*i endured hours of training...adia, NOTHING like your all day madness, it was two two-hour sessions, one on data analysis, and the other on FBA/BIP. i ask you, WHY is it necessary for me to attend these things when we spent an entire SEMESTER doing this? i swear, everyone thinks that because i'm new, i know nothing. go figure.
*the cde (colorado department of ed) can't process my application for employment because, big surprise here, michigan state hasn't returned the one crucial piece of it that needs to be signed by the dean. i love our alma mater. (lots and lots of sarcasm here.) as a result, i'm technically NOT licensed to teach in CO, thus jeopardizing my school and quite possibly my career as well. go state.
*big news: I BOUGHT A CAR!!!! small news: i may be teaching human development....
opinion time - you girls know me better than most, and you know special ed so well. help me make a decision, please? my 5th grade team approached me and asked if i would be willing to take a small group during science time and teach them. naturally, i got really excited and said YES! before thinking. the small group would consist of my sped kids and a couple NEPs (non english proficient speakers). now, the dilemma is that i would be seeing them for about 75% of their day with this time included. i feel that i would not only be over-servicing them, but i would be doing them a disservice, in that when they go to middle school next year they will hardly be serviced at all. if i took them for that huge amount of time, they wouldn't be prepared for the onslaught of middle school classes. but i really want to to teach science, and i know they'd learn so much better if they were in my class.
what do i do?
opinions, please!

love you girls :)

jefffaaaffaa

Jeff Dunham is on TV right now and I miss you all crazy. My sister asked who he was and didn't know who he was after that! I told her she was living under a rock.

Love,
Jose Jalapeno On A STICK!

maybe i should call myself "the novelist"

sorry girls, i just saw my last post... that mug is a novel!! lol... i guess i needed to get a little bit off my chest...

do not go gently into that good night...

amanda!!! so glad you made it on here. it's great to hear from you! (thanks kate for the blog, excellent idea). Your first day of school was... well, i'll just stick with funny :) i feel you on the parking lot duties, that's what my mornings will be like as well, but w/o the vests (oh wait! the vests were in my room... maybe i should hide them to ensure they are not used against me...lol)

SIDE NOTE: it is back to school time here in the land of MSU and i just saw a SBS commercial. and my goodness, talk about kiddos... these folk look like they are 16!!! oh no, does that mean i'm getting really old?? Okay, back to business:

well girls... today is a day i miss the attwood crew... first we have 9 hours of training (which goes by super slow when you don't have anyone to discuss names that you would NEVER pick for your children, or the top ten reasons to love being an intern...), then i had to get my dress for my brother's wedding (which is on saturday... ahhh...lol), clean and wash the car... the list continues, but i'm getting tired just writing it, so it stops here! the point is, today was the perfect day for a quick trip to la senoritas' for some nachos and a togo box :) but it wouldn't have been the same w/o the crew.

so i was told yesterday that we would not be able to get into our classrooms (why? you ask, heaven only knows...) and by the time they changed their minds... well let's just say it was too late for me! So needless to say, the room is not clean yet, but i did buy some materials to build a screen and, hopefully, i can put that up tomorrow before i head out to take care of some wedding craziness. but i am very excited about this weekend. i think it will be great! and it is helping to distract me from feeling the tension of not being prepared for the year to come...

so you want to hear a crazy story? well, i met some of the parapros for the school yesterday and let's just say they are all very devoted to their jobs. so devoted in fact, two of them felt they should tell me how i should do mine... really?!? i need help on how best to accommodate these children?or where i should sit during grade level planning because i can't figure out what grade to sit with on my own? because... i didn't just complete a five year program in what was it... oh yeah... special education? nor do i have what... nine years experience working in education?... now don't get me wrong, i love and appreciate their assistance (in general that is) and i do feel these people will bring valuable information to the table; but please, let's not question my competence before the school year even begins :) one of the ladies was like, "i don't mean to be offensive, but are you really young or do you just age really really well? i mean is this like your first year teaching???" i'll admit, i maybe being a bit sensitive here, but is it really neccessary to try and drop the age card during pd? i was like, well i can't help if i age better than you but... lol j/k girls i really didn't say that, but it would have been funny if i had! especially since the woman looks like she's just bearly coasting through her 30's. you're not that old yourself women. relax dear, i got this!

well i think that's enough ranting for one evening... lol... you know how sensitive i get about my age :) ha ha! and to think i'm not even old... yet...

signing off for now --

the aging first year

****Ding Dong**** Do You Have Time for a Mobile Makeover?

Today was the day of my door to door sales pitch of me. I went to both West Bloomfield Human Resources and Walled Lake Human Resources. The women that I met at WB was amazing. She took my mini portfolio that I made for her and then gave me some information on the district as well as an application to be a special education para-educator. It was great.

THEN...

Walled Lake. The women not so nice, didnt take my beautiful mini portfolio and barely answered any questions i asked her.

What ever. I did some stuff today. Now i am at MSU staying with a friend of mine and heading towards campus tomorrow to tell the little children all my wisdom and advice about the internship. FUNNY!

Anyway im out. I will let you know more when i hear anything.

Love

don't drink the water...

hi hi!

amanda, that's TOO FLIPPING FUNNY.
i feel like there should have been some kind of plan similar to that for becca's mom. she was a real terror, but in a completely different way ;)
anyway, i don't know if you all heard, but Dave and Mrs. Gorbe will not be returning to Attwood this year. RIDICULOUS! i don't know what we can do about it, but MAN, lansing school district, what are you doing? Adia, how are your experiences thus far?
Bri Bri, talk to me. what's going on in your life at home? how is it hitting the pavement? i literally think about you everytime i run, because my feet are "hitting the pavement"... corny, i know. that's the point i'm at in my life.
a few key things about this crazy world: THEY DON'T TEACH SCIENCE.
well, they don't teach it until 5th grade.
insane, i know.
also, remember how we never got to see students on fridays because we were in class (ew. i still shudder at the memory of stupid friday classes)... well, i STILL don't see students on fridays!
the district has reserved those days for special educators to solely work on assessments and staffings (IEPs, etc.). how weird is that?!
okay, so, life is nutso, the school district is CRAY, but all in all, things are lovely.
i got to see kiddos today in a semi-regular schedule - both writing AND reading (big day!) and although changes to my schedule are in the words, i finally feel like things are somewhat falling into place.
just watch.
tomorrow things will explode all over again.
gotta love the madness.
Adia, i'm jealous of your gym-rat-ness. i'm getting a membership to the Y as soon as that first paycheck comes in! you better believe my butt is signing up for power yoga, spinning, the works. there's something about being in colorado that makes me even more health-conscious....maybe it's in the water...
alrighty, love you girls, keep me posted :)

-wannabe gym rat out.

First Day FUN

So today was the official first day of school. I started the day dressed up as a clown, and wait to make it worse, or funnier, a parent took my picture with the social worker dressed that way for the yearbook!!! But luckily I am not the craziest person at school. IT WAS AMAZING TO BE AROUND KIDS, AND I THINK I AM GOING TO LOVE IT!! So IT is official, I now know what it is like to be on the teacher end of student teaching. So one of my 6th grade teachers has an intern. He is wicked tall and skinny. He doesn't talk, to staff or students, he doesn't smile. NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!! I took him to the lunch room, I went to get my lunch from the fridge, and came back and he was GONE!!!!! My teacher doesn't know what to do with him. She thought at first it was nerves, but how can you be a teacher when you won't talk to the kids. I think he may have been in the wrong profession.
The final crazy of the first day, wins the medal according to the staff. There was a student who came to the school several years ago as a first grader and was a terror. Worst than him though was his mother. You would look at the kid, he would tell his mom and she would call and rant and call you prejudice etc. Anyway they left the school to go to private school, in which they were told they could not return to. So he went to Catholic School WHICH THEY AGIAN JUST KICKED THE FAMILY OUT OF!!! So we found out HE IS BACK!!!!!!! AND IN 6th grade. HE may or maynot be on an IEP, but we dont have the paper work from the school. IT IS SO BAD THAT THERE IS SCHOOL WIDE PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH THE MOTHER. We have special school codes if she comes into the building so teachers station around the office and no one is alone with the parent in case of intervention. We are not allowed to conference with the mom or about the student without the principal present. I Decided if i get him that i will cover my but not being tenure, but Give the student the benefit of the doubt of change since then, although i am sure something caused him to be thrown out. ANYWAY HE IS ALREADY PICKING ON MY KIDS:( but i have made him my special project for the year as needed:)

That is the excitement of the day. I want to hear about each of you. Kate how is fifth grade going. Adia is your room clean? Bri what is new on the job front! I miss you at school! It just isn't the same.

MUCH LOVE!!!
Z

Monday Night Muse

So it has been a wicked long day of teacher crap! I was up at 5:15. I sat through a morning of district overview and talk about consistant assessments. Then I sat through an afternoon of building beginning of the year overview and introductions. We have a school wide behavior program that is kind of cool. It is all about reteaching behavior and not about punishment. I lovingly got assigned my bus duty, luckily it is only one day a week :) OMG funniest thing about the whole thing, we have a school wide voice level chart. Each room has a chart of the volumes, using the same language. (no voice, whisper, normal voice, presentation voice, and outside voice) And we have to use it with the students across the building. I never knew volume had to be implemented like discipline and curriculum. For bus duty on the first day support staff has to carry a clip board with balloons on them while we wear safety green vests with reflecters on it! Can we say my kids first impression of me will be CLOWN!!! hahah I FINALLY got teacher volumes of lit and math series. I dont get anything that goes with it though, because that is for general ed (I think i drew the short end of the stick) Science help should be a blast. I SHOULD HAVE PAID ATTENTION IN SCIENCE!!! We are doing everything I suck at (cells, etc.) and biomes and ecosystems. (I miss SME!!!!) And then at night we had curriculum night. It was long and pointless. I didn't even get to do anything except introduce myself for 5 minutes and I only met 1 of my kids :( WELL That is it for me) MORE TOMORROW! FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW. (First day of school, First day of school) <--- think NEMO as you say this hehehe

Love and Learning,
ME

sunday morning musings

okay, here's my beef.
(not literally, obviously.)
but every woman in the Denver metro area parades around in these super cute, super tight gym clothes while they're out doing their domestic lovelies: buying groceries, walking the dog, picking up their kiddos at the park...you get the picture. WHY is it necessary to look like a.) you just got back from the land of squats and crunches or b.) are going to hit the thighmaster after buying a bunch of bananas?
just a question. feel free to ponder that one for a while...
in the meantime, EEEEKKK!!! i get real kids tomorrow! i mean, yes, i have seen them all last week because i've been testing their noses off, and they've all made it perfectly clear they're excited to come to the resource room, but there hasn't been quality time with ALL of them all at once until now!
i finally get to do all of those teacher things like talk about expectations, quiet coyote, the necessity of appropriate hand washing, working to your potential, etc, etc, and i'm SO excited about it :) (slightly terrified as well - i even had a dream last night that it was my first day teaching, and the board of education came into my classroom and were being completely rowdy and disrespectful, then criticized me after the students left! ouch!)
in preparation, however, i need to get my big booty in gear writing lesson plans and getting life together. this entails diving into a HEAPING pile of curriculum materials (WHY is my district like a foreign planet in the way they do things?) and writing out which child will be coming when, their goals, all that fun stuff. i spent literally the whole day on friday working with the 5th grade team sorting data, and i've got a really great feeling about working with this group of people.
so, teachers in the bag, students soon to be!
that's all for now, folks.

-kate out.

HI FROM THE WINDY CITY!!!!

Ok first off, I LOVE THIS BLOG THING! BEST NEWS OF THE WEEK! Sorry I haven't written sooner but I changed e-mail to zitronam@gmail.com and stopped checking MSU very often :( so i missed a few days. KATE, I am so glad that you got put to just one grade, it will be a little easier to handle. Adia what is the deal that your room has the gym equipment? IS IT THAT BIG? Is special ed really that secondary??? Its lansing, i don't know what i was expecting! LOL! I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!

NEWS FROM HOME: The apartment is getting more and more put together. We officially have a dining room table and a couch. ALL OF WHICH ARE COVERED IN TEACHER STUFF! (would it be home w/o it?) Living with my sister is going well so far. It is really easy to go food shopping and having her come with me to set up at school. Its a good thing we will not be getting up together in the morning, because the bathroom isn't big enough for the 2 of us at the same time!

NEWS FROM SCHOOL: Last week was new teacher induction week, where we learned all about the district and the teachers union etc. I was never meant to sit in a chair that long for a week! It felt like being in classes again. This week I have been setting up my office. YES all Student Services Teachers have offices not classrooms, because of the push for inclusion. My school is Aldrin Elementary and it is in Schaumburg, IL. The commute sucks, it is between 45 min and 1 hour 30 depending on traffic each way. I figure if I love where i work and teach i should be good. There is one other SST (that is what we are called) and i have to be careful because she is already coming to me to complain about people! Everyone seems nice but I miss having you all their. My office is much cuter now that there is stuff in it I have a reading, writing, and math walls. The reading is great, It is called reading road and all of the signs are road signs like plot twist ahead, etc. I went to the dollar store and got toy cars and stuck them on the wall with the signs. For writing i just have typical stuff like types, markings, and types of words. For math I got some great signs with PEMDAS and parts of an equation, multiplication chart, etc. Then I turned my chalk board (yes we still have some) into a bulletin board. My rules, and tools to being a good student are up there (it is fun w/ saying related to building and construction). Then of course I had to bring FROGS in some how. My incentives wall says leap into learning and all the kids have lilypads with their names, i will write their goals on it, and that will be their incentives tracker. Outside my door is a huge frog saying welcome and my name with the room number on the lily pad. This week has been a world win. I started out with 10 on my caseload, working with 3 teachers, all 6th grade. But after reading all the IEPs i learned one moved so I am down to 9. (PS. CA60s are huge by 6th grade! ) I wrote and sent out parent and student notes today on top of reading all the files. ALL you old pros at upper EL give me some good books and resources to work with my kids. Reading levels are from 4th-6th grade mostly.

Okay, I think that is it for now! BRI thanks for letting me stay for the wedding I was so happy to see you! Kate, i wish you were closer, I miss you so much! Adia, you have to find a weekend and the three of you should come up to visit for the weekend! (PS i don't think i have seen anything accept the local walgreens since I have been here! LOL!

ENOUGH OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA! TO BED!!!

LOTS OF LOVE,
THE FROG LADY

Hiddy Ho from West Bloomfield

Has anyone seen the commercials for the new movie "Post Grad", for they say something I am now feeling. The main character states that "When you leave the nest you are not suppose to go back to the nest". I am feeling this. I feel like I can not live here for an entire year.

Kate - GUESS WHAT! they are making a Lightening Thief movie. YAYAYA!! Im excited.

The camp is going great. Joey and his staff are amazing and funny. We spend the day planning and writing the scripts for our parts in the show. And currently one of my campers has been chosen to be the host of "The Really Late Late Late Show" and his co-host is in the next age bracket down. This is going to be great. Today the campers in my group shot there movie clip entitled "Monsters Anonymous" doing interviews with past movie monsters whose jobs have been taken over by CGI (our teacher is not a fan of CGI)

Thats the news so far. I am still job hunting and awaiting those phone calls to come pouring in...that would be FANTASTIC!

Love to all

Bri

:::cheesy anouncer's voice::: "and now we return to... As the Clutter Turns..."

so yesterday was "moving day" and yeah... not a lot was moved. i do have some pictures on my phone of the madness, but not a whole lot yet. right now i'm trying to organize iep info, get stuff out to parents and schedule parent meetings so it begins. :)

so kate, how many resource teachers are there in your school. are you just getting the 5th graders because there are so many? you should have fun with them though. and yes, i want to see some pics of the room and stuff asap!

bri- can't wait for the fill in on film camp, interviews etc.!! i will be in town for a bit on thursday the 28th, so you'll have to come by and see my gym... i mean room... for yourself. :) then it's off to detroit for my brother's wedding!! i'm really excited about that. it should be fun!

signing off for now...

the queen of clutter

rocky mountain hi!

ah! it's SO good to hear from you both! :) now we just need amanda and dawn to jump on the blog bus, so to speak. um, wow. stories will happen, yes. they happen every dang day, over in the special ed corner of dupont el. speaking of which, they call special ed out here "sped." i'm sorry, but where i come from, sped is pretty derogatory. it's so strange to hear professionals use it! things changed yet again today (big surprise there...) i got two new students (both remarkably ADHD....something realized within oh, FIVE SECONDS of meeting them.) and as my caseload is exploding, the powers that be decided to move me to specialize only in 5th grade. i've got fourteen students now, and the numbers are rising daily :) i think there was something in the water that year.... go figure.
mmm, more stories (and hopefully pictures!) still to come from this side of the country. bri, i want to know how interviewing and door knocking and hr talking went. adia, classroom...situation....stories?
i've reached my capacity for functionality....it's bedtime!
ciao bellas.

A year with no interns... :(

so after working a whole two days, i can't help but say to myself..."what was i thinking!?!" lol... really it isn't all that bad, in fact i am thinking of embracing the whole gym storage in the resource room by putting up the volley ball nets and having the kids go at! Right now my room is the catch all for the entire building and i am having a hard time envisioning how it will become my own. But i'm hoping after tomorrow things will begin to look a little better when they start to move some things out. i guess we'll see how that goes. at least i have 'til sept. 8th!! trust me gals... i'm gunna need all the time i can get!!

i have about nine kids on my caseload for the moment, but i hear there a few incoming kiddos that may be added and i have no idea how many initials i may have to do as the year goes on. but i'm excited for the challenge and can't wait to get things going!

it's official, summer is over (i know you have little sympathy for me kate and amanda... since summer's been over for a while in your respective neck of the woods...) but i have to admit, i'm going through some withdrawals. lol... but i'm sure this year will fly by and before you know it, it will be summer all over again.

looking into the future we should try and plan some kind of attwood reunion maybe a long weekend or something. i miss you guys like crazy. hopefully this blog helps to fill the void... it's going to be hard not having you gals to lean on! maybe we should have pursued those jobs in alameda... :)

well... i'm going to end this post since i wrote a novella to start it off...

much love,

from the gym rat ;)

Tales from Back Home!!

Hey darlings!

I was just thinking about everyone and then poof...i open this email from kate saying join this blog!!!

Kate I am LOVING the shirt you now own and am so jealous.

Let me tell you... I have applications for about 30 jobs so far. Friday starts my day of going to the individual school districts HR offices and putting myself and my name out there. Currently, for the next two weeks, i am a counselor at an Autistic Film Camp with host (and producer) Joey Travolta (yes there is a CLOSE relation) If you are interested in it we are having the premier on Oct 17 and this year we are doing the "Really Late Late Late Show". The staff are all hollywood actors and stunt men and camera men but thats not the weirdest thing of all. Yours truly is working with students who are 14-18 years old. SOOOOOO WEIRD!! I am hoping this is going to open up a new door for me and help me get one of the Autism Classrooms I applied for.

Kate - I am so jealous you are in Denver. I want to know everything. Including the fact that I need everyones FULL Address. Please send ASAP.

Loving everyone and missing everyone!

Love

Bri

hello dears!

hi girls!

i thought that a blog would be a great way to share our misadventures, not just from teaching but in everyday life (because y'all know we have them CONSTANTLY!) i want to know how you're all doing! Adia, how is Lansing and your crazy k-3 babies? Dawn, how's married life treating you? (congrats, dear, by the way! i wish i could have gone!) Bri, what's going on in your life? Amanda, what's happening in the Windy City? it's SO strange being in a school without the four of you, saving my sorry, unprepared butt at every turn!
my school is called Dupont Elementary, and yes, we are the Dupont Dinosaurs. our school color is purple....meaning i now am the proud owner of a bright purple polo with a white brontosaurus on the pocket. trennnndy ;) i FINALLY got my assignment, i'll be teaching 4th and 5th grade (special ed, of course. though out here we're called learning specialists.) wow, what a big change (hear the dripping sarcasm). the kids are adding on daily, and whoa, i'm up to about 20 now. eek!
so please, please, blog with me! tell me your stories. let's get through this year as together as we can possibly manage :)

kate out.