Monday, March 26, 2012

Spring Fever

Here I am again, feeling as though I should write another blog post (I feel a bit obligated since I know some family members keep up with what I'm doing on here...).  However, it is 6:15pm, and it's been the kind of day that only Cheetos (well, the Publix brand cheesy poofs knock-offs) can fix.

The children have been crazy. Not normal crazy. It's the kind of crazy that makes you assume there must be a full moon (but there isn't - I checked!)

They've been the kind of crazy that no matter how many different times you tell them that No, no play guns, knives, swords, other weapons, or play fighting are allowed at school, you still find yourself having the same conversation over and over and over (like a broken record).

The kind of crazy that sends children dancing, skipping, and running down the hallway, despite the fact that you're right there, watching them, telling them that they need their bubble and safe hands. It means that I constantly have to "help friends walk" down the hallway.

The kind of crazy that sends two little girls into hysterical laughter because they think it's funny that the entire class is watching them clean up so everyone can go outside - well past the time when they should have been done picking up.

The kind of crazy where I finally break down and ask a neighboring teacher if Child G can nap in her room today, and could she possibly scare the daylights out of her so that she'll never want to come back?

The kind of crazy that makes you want to go around screaming every statement so that the children realize how annoying it is to hear them yelling all day. (Example: I'M GOING TO DRAMATIC PLAY NOW TO PLAY WITH THE BABIES!) (No, they're not upset, they just can't regulate their inside voices...)

Is this Spring Fever?  If so, come on SUMMER! (which is only 2 months away!)

All I have to say is...Thank GOD next week is spring break!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

GRE = brain mush

Over the past couple weeks, I have been studying for the GRE.  I've really hit the books/computer in the last week trying to learn new, big words (of course, right now, I can't think of any of those fancy new words to use to describe the type of words I'm learning...did that make any sense?).  I've also done math.  A lot of math.  The kind of math that I haven't done since high school since most of my college level math was elementary-focused.  The kind of math that, ironically, I was wanting to do just a few weeks ago. (What can I say...sometimes I want to do calculations that aren't "How many cubes do I have?" "What is one more than 8?" "Which one is longer?")

Thankfully, several words and math formulas that I learned in my high school PSAT prep class are coming back, slowly but surely. (Thank Ms. Shivers, Ms. Reed, and Ms. Daniels!)  However, there's still a lot to do, and I take the test in less than a week.

Besides studying for the GRE and doing taxes (blech!), I've been focusing on trying to be more positive about work. I have struggled all year with being a paraprofessional and dealing with the fact that it's not "my" classroom, at least not in the sense that I had planned on for the past 4 years.

Oh, yeah, I picked up a sporadic after-school job.  Tuesday-Thursday, the 5 elementary schools in Decatur have a 1-hour tutoring session for each grade.  The tutors are hired through the City of Decatur. I am a sub for the tutors.  My first time subbing was last Wednesday, and the tutor coordinator at that particular school asked if I would come every Wednesday and tutor the kindergarteners because their regular tutor couldn't do Wednesdays.  Of course I said YES! (Heck, that would pay for my gas to/from work for almost 2 days!)

I am sticking my feet through every possible door I can, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  In the meantime, I continue hoping and praying for a lead teaching position next year.