I have been so tired this week that I have found it hard to write. It's ironic that I have less energy to write when there is more to write about.
Went to a teacher pep rally this morning. It was actually pretty fun. I've become less self conscious about that sort of thing as I have gotten older, and have decided to enjoy the silliness. We sang our group song, and the other teams did their cheers, and the high school band got to watch their teachers let it all hang out. Three reasons that you could tell this was a small town district:
1. The entire faculty and staff fit in the gym.
2. The Invocation given ended "In Jesus' name we pray"
3. The school board members did their own cheer.
If you had read my earlier posts, you must have guessed by now I love lists. I seem to have a staccato style of writing, that one could call journalistic, or even Hemingwayesque, but that most English teachers call "Not Enough Elaboration." Good thing I'm working with language impaired kids, because they need their language in small doses.
I have been in my new room twice now. It's in a portable building on the same campus as the elementary school and the middle school.
Good things:
It's big!
My own bathroom
My own A/C thermostat
Good stuff left over from the last therapist
One good computer
Cabinet
Intercom connection to the front office
Bad things:
Some parts are really dirty
No teacher desk
Having to decorate from scratch
Far away from my students (they have to go outside to reach me)
No key yet
A pitiful ancient Mac for my second computer
Internet not working
No phone
Overall, I'm pretty pleased. I have a few ideas for the room, which will take a lot of effort. Our Back to School night is Thursday, so we will be working late. I did find some good articulation cards, which made me very happy because those puppies are expensive. Unfortunately, I have to provide some of my own office supplies. I snagged some from the co-op today, and I hope I can score more from the campus I am working for.
I went through the case files of all my students today. It took all afternoon, since I have 44 cases (soon to be 45). I have several kids with a stuttering disorder, one kid with autism, a couple with MR, and a girl who may have Rhett's syndrome. Rhett's syndrome is a debilitating disease that is somewhat like autism but that has worse symptoms as well. Fortunately, the access to my portable is by ramp instead of stairs. Most of the rest of the kids either have an articulation problem (Can't pronounce certain sounds) or a general language problem. Kids with language problems may have difficulty understanding what is said to them, or they may have difficulty communicating, or both.
Tomorrow, I'll be getting ready for my first ARD meeting, which is Thursday.
