I can't believe that I am actually starting the new school year on Tuesday as a real teacher!
I will blog all about it next week!
August 27, 2010
August 23, 2010
Oops! The story of how I got too carried away with throwing things away.
So I decided to start going through everything in my classroom last week, continued into this week. There was SO much and I figured that I had to look at what I had anyways so why not make some decisions of whether or not it should stay or go.
After going through the first few shelves I determined that the deciding factor for whether or not something would be thrown away was its publishing date. If anything was published BEFORE I was born (1987) then it FOR SURE could be thrown away. This was according to me, myself and I. No consulting or guidance, just pure and simple --> garbage!
Well I was continuing to go through things and loving it (I absolutely LOVE organizing....just wait for the labeling to start :) ha ha!) when I came across a push cart piled high with stuff. I looked at it and using my deductive reasoning skills decided it was stuff from the other school (Brookline) that was combining with my school (Newfane) to make the new combined school of NewBrook. So I begin to go through it, either throwing things away or putting it away where I thought it belonged in my classroom. Done. Happy with my accomplishment I packed up to head home (this was Friday afternoon).
So the weekend comes and goes (nothing too exciting here: just me running errands, going to the farmers market and the library).
Monday morning - I have to go to the central office to get my iPod Touch set up and syncronized with my email and contacts (yes I get an Ipod Touch). So I do that and then head over to school. I have a meeting with my paraeducator that I will be working with. I meet a couple of other staff and paraeducators and then start my very informal meeting with my para. We chat, and discuss how things work, blah blah blah.
As she is leaving to go, I point to the now empty push cart and tell her that I sorted through all of the stuff that came from Brookline. She looks at me and tells me that it was not from Brookline but it was the Speech/Language Pathologist's (SLP) stuff. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I begin to panic. I threw stuff away. I went through it all. AHHHHH!!!! My para tells me it is okay, she won't be mad because she is a very laid back and free-spirited person. Still. I am freaking out. The minute my para leaves I begin to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to sort through the recycling bin, going through my shelves and racking my brain for what was on that cart to put it back.
I have now put stuff back on and hope she won't be pissed and hope that I have remembered/found everything that belongs on it.
Another DUH! moment. How many of these are going to keep happening to me? But on a good note I ran into my Special Ed director and told her about going through everything (well not the SLP's stuff) and about my throwing away anything published before 1987 thing. She said that was great and that I really could throw away anything published before 2000 if Iwanted to. Looks like another round for me!
Well tomorrow and Wednesday I have a RtI (Response to Intervention) Workshop/training, in my classroom organizing Thursday and then all district staff meeting/special ed meeting Friday.
Then comes inservice Monday and FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Tuesday the 31st. I am super excited to finally meet all my kids, after reading and hearing about them but at the same time I can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed and very nervous too.
After going through the first few shelves I determined that the deciding factor for whether or not something would be thrown away was its publishing date. If anything was published BEFORE I was born (1987) then it FOR SURE could be thrown away. This was according to me, myself and I. No consulting or guidance, just pure and simple --> garbage!
Well I was continuing to go through things and loving it (I absolutely LOVE organizing....just wait for the labeling to start :) ha ha!) when I came across a push cart piled high with stuff. I looked at it and using my deductive reasoning skills decided it was stuff from the other school (Brookline) that was combining with my school (Newfane) to make the new combined school of NewBrook. So I begin to go through it, either throwing things away or putting it away where I thought it belonged in my classroom. Done. Happy with my accomplishment I packed up to head home (this was Friday afternoon).
So the weekend comes and goes (nothing too exciting here: just me running errands, going to the farmers market and the library).
Monday morning - I have to go to the central office to get my iPod Touch set up and syncronized with my email and contacts (yes I get an Ipod Touch). So I do that and then head over to school. I have a meeting with my paraeducator that I will be working with. I meet a couple of other staff and paraeducators and then start my very informal meeting with my para. We chat, and discuss how things work, blah blah blah.
As she is leaving to go, I point to the now empty push cart and tell her that I sorted through all of the stuff that came from Brookline. She looks at me and tells me that it was not from Brookline but it was the Speech/Language Pathologist's (SLP) stuff. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I begin to panic. I threw stuff away. I went through it all. AHHHHH!!!! My para tells me it is okay, she won't be mad because she is a very laid back and free-spirited person. Still. I am freaking out. The minute my para leaves I begin to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to sort through the recycling bin, going through my shelves and racking my brain for what was on that cart to put it back.
I have now put stuff back on and hope she won't be pissed and hope that I have remembered/found everything that belongs on it.
Another DUH! moment. How many of these are going to keep happening to me? But on a good note I ran into my Special Ed director and told her about going through everything (well not the SLP's stuff) and about my throwing away anything published before 1987 thing. She said that was great and that I really could throw away anything published before 2000 if Iwanted to. Looks like another round for me!
Well tomorrow and Wednesday I have a RtI (Response to Intervention) Workshop/training, in my classroom organizing Thursday and then all district staff meeting/special ed meeting Friday.
Then comes inservice Monday and FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Tuesday the 31st. I am super excited to finally meet all my kids, after reading and hearing about them but at the same time I can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed and very nervous too.
August 16, 2010
Journey to New Hampshire
On Sunday I went to visit some friends of my grandparents in Stoddard, New Hampshire. I was very excited to go because I would finally be seeing some people and interacting with others. I had never met them before but my grandma said that they would be super friendly, nice and make me feel right at home. Well they were right because I had the best time!!
My only issue *of course* was getting to their house. I had directions to follow HWY 9 into Keene, NH and then stay on 9 until I got to Junction 123, turn left there and turn right on Treelyn Rd (which is a dirt road). Well I did fine until I got to Keene, NH because then (I did not know it at the time but I had passed a turn to continue on 9) I got to this roundabout that did not have 9 as an option. So I drove in circles a few times then pulled over into a Dunkin Dounuts (they are every where around here) to call them. So I talk to them and get back on the right track.
I am driving and driving and driving and begin to panic that I went to far ..... oh no! So I try to look for places to pull over to look at the map of New England I have (like that would help anyways) or to use my cell phone to call them (but of course I have NO service). I finally pull over in this driveway looking thing and am freaking out that I went way too far. I look up and see a gas station - so I get back on the road and pull into the gas station. I bring my cell phone (to look up the number of my grandparents friends if I need to call them from the gas station's phone --I hope not!--) and the little slip of paper I have with directions on it. I go in and ask the guy working (looks super young, like he is in high school) if I am anywhere near Junction 123. Luckily, I am! He looks at me like I am kind of crazy, because I was in such a panic that I went to far, and tells me it is just a mile or so up the road and to turn left when I get to it.
THANK GOD!!!
So I get back on the road, make my left turn at Junction 123 and then begin to look for Treelyn Road. I of course pass it, so I turn around and make my way onto the dirt/gravel road. I am staying to the right and after I go over the little (and I mean tiny) bridge I start to look for their house. Well I knew they lived in the woods but it was like back woods, no one around, houses very spread apart. So I recall what her house number is so I am driving and looking, looking and driving until I finally get to a tree with their house number and a cute little sign with their names on it and a moose (there are lots of moose here you know? and signs that say MOOSE CROSSING ahead :) ha!). I park and go in the house and am greeted with smiles and hugs, like I have known them forever, only I just met them. Thank you to all the grandparents in the world who are just great!
So we had a nice leisurely Sunday of chatting, taking a walk around the lake, playing with their dog (SO cute), eating, watching TV, and the best part yet -- going into town.
So we are just sitting around chatting and one topic leads to another and 'Grandma' goes, "hey do we need to go to the dump today?" I look up from the newspaper ad I am looking at and then look back down. 'Grandpa' replies that "yes, as a matter of fact we do." I, trying to be smart, go, "I have been just dying to go to the dump!" They both look at me and laugh and then we all pack up the car to go into town to go the dump. What an adventure. We drive through town (which is a general store and a volunteer fire station) and get to the dump, where you literally do your own dumping.
After that we sat down to a nice dinner and had some yummy caramel ice cream to top it off. I left once it started to get dark, so I didn't have to try to find my way through the winding dirt path (aka road) to get back to the main highway. Of course I was packed up full with leftovers and some school supplies :)
How nice. I loved it!
To check out Stoddard, NH: http://www.stoddardnh.org/!
August 13, 2010
A Key Item
So yesterday I was bored -imagine that- so I decided to stop at the grocery store after I returned my Redbox movie -Alice in Wonderland, which I liked- to buy a brownie mix, which I had been craving. So I am walking around the store trying to find the brownie mix and then I decide what goes better with brownies than ice cream? So I grab some vanilla ice cream and walk by the frozen fruit. I remembered that I had vanilla yogurt at home that I had already bought and thought buying some frozen fruit would be a good idea because then I could make smoothies. I pick out two bags - one of strawberries and one of mixed berries...
Side note: people here are super nice, or at least the woman in the grocery store was to me. As I was grabbing the frozen fruit she asked me if I would like a coupon. I say sure, and she proceeds to rip out the coupon and hand it to me. She goes, "50 cents is 50 cents." I thank her --- wow that made my day!!!!!
Okay back to the story, so I check out and drive home. It is raining (not really pertinent to the story but I just wanted to make that note) and I run in the house. I start to put away the few groceries I bought and have a DUH moment.
I DO NOT HAVE A BLENDER - WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE SMOOTHIES. DUH!
So yes, I have had my great laundry adventure - which I realized it is spelled laundromat NOT laundry mat and then now my great buy stuff to make smoothies and then realize you don't have a blender adventure.
I have ventured out again today and got my library card :) yay!
Tomorrow I am going to the Brattleboro Farmers Market: http://www.brattleborofarmersmarket.com/!! It should be fun.
Well until my next adventure or DUH moment..... have a great weekend :)
Side note: people here are super nice, or at least the woman in the grocery store was to me. As I was grabbing the frozen fruit she asked me if I would like a coupon. I say sure, and she proceeds to rip out the coupon and hand it to me. She goes, "50 cents is 50 cents." I thank her --- wow that made my day!!!!!
Okay back to the story, so I check out and drive home. It is raining (not really pertinent to the story but I just wanted to make that note) and I run in the house. I start to put away the few groceries I bought and have a DUH moment.
I DO NOT HAVE A BLENDER - WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE SMOOTHIES. DUH!
So yes, I have had my great laundry adventure - which I realized it is spelled laundromat NOT laundry mat and then now my great buy stuff to make smoothies and then realize you don't have a blender adventure.
I have ventured out again today and got my library card :) yay!
Tomorrow I am going to the Brattleboro Farmers Market: http://www.brattleborofarmersmarket.com/!! It should be fun.
Well until my next adventure or DUH moment..... have a great weekend :)
August 11, 2010
First Day Alone
Well after a fun drive, minus the BORING long drive through New York state on Sunday, unpacking the car, setting up my apartment (what little there was to set up) and going to the grocery store (I always hate that first grocery shopping trip when you are starting from nothing) I am 'settled'. I have found the nearest Target (only 20 minutes away in Keene, NH) the WalMart (only a 5 minute drive across the Connecticut river over the NH border) and my local Redbox (who is my BFF for now), I am starting to feel a little more comfortable in my new home. Not to mention that I absolutely love my surroundings - the beautiful scenery, GREEN everywhere, super friendly people and a busting downtown.
So I had my first day of work today - well it was just technology training but it went well. I met the two other new special ed teachers to the district, and they are older who have worked at other schools in the area. SO - I am officially the youngest teacher in the district and the newest to the teaching profession! Woo Hoo! One of the other teachers I met today though has a sister that is teaching at my school, Newfane Elementary, also and said that the three of us should get together. She asked me what I like to do and I said whatever (I just want to do anything with anyone at this point!) She suggested kayaking - I quickly asked her if this would be for exercise or for fun and she reassured me for fun! So we are going to exchange info tomorrow and set something up.
Also, I just found out that one of my old neighbors is now living in Boston, which is only 2 hours away so I can go visit her maybe. I have my uncle living in New York, New York AND my grandparents close friends live a little bit north of Keene, NH so I kind of know people around here :) ha ha!
As for what I did today - I had the most ridiculous and annoying laundry mat experience. So how many trips does it take to get your laundry done?
Trip 1: I packed up my laundry, put it in my car and headed to WalMart to go pick up some laundry detergent and dryer sheets to start. After wandering through WalMart for an hour (just to DO something and kill a littleb time) I arrived at the laundry mat. I proceeded to put my laundry into two different washing machines, put my money in ($2 each load) and my laundry detergent to get NO result. I of course had closed the washing machines and when they did not start, I began to panic because I thought my laundry was locked into the washers. I looked around to see if there was an office, someone on duty, or even just a sign with a phone number or a procedure for when this kind of thing happens. Nothing. So I walked around a little and went up to an older man who was also doing laundry. I told him I had never been here before and was having issues with my washers. He walks over, checks it, smacks it a few times and told me that this place is not kept up that well and this happens a lot. Great. He showed me how to use a quarter in this little slot thing to at least get my clothes out of the washers and then told me to look for some washers that are wet-ish because they must work then. So I thanked him and finally got my washers to start. I drove home.
Trip 2: Since the laundry mat is a block down the hill from my house, I decided to walk down to switch my laundry. I was pleased to find the washers had done their job and my clothes were done. So I walk up the dryer and put my quarter in (it says 25 cents next to the slot) and press start. I see the temperature pop up (Hi) and the numbers 06. I think nothing of it and decide to walk home 'thinking' it was all set to go.
Trip 3: I decided to drive this time and go to the Redbox first to return my movie I got last night and get another one for tonight (remember, the Redbox is my BFF for now). Once I finish up at the Redbox I stop at the laundry mat (again). I find my clothes had stopped so I opened it up and they were still a little damp. So I put in another quarter and walk around a bit, looking at the bulletin board in the building. A little bit later I notice that the dryer has stopped again. So I go put in another quarter, and another and notice that the littleb 06 is changing to 12 and then 18. OHHHHHHH each quarter is 6 MINUTES - duhhhhh! SO I put in enough for a half hour or so and drive home.
Trip 4: I waited a half hour and finally walked down to the laundry mat again (I could not drive again) and FINALLY my clothes were dry. After taking them out and folding them I walked back home and put them away.
I sure have learned a lot about what not to do when trying to wash clothes at the laundry mat. After many episodes of wanting to slap myself, I finally had some clean clothes.
Well the little cafe I am sitting in, The Works, is closing at 6 - so I am going to head back home to make some dinner and watch my movie (I got Alice in Wonderland finally)!!
Love and miss you all!! :)
So I had my first day of work today - well it was just technology training but it went well. I met the two other new special ed teachers to the district, and they are older who have worked at other schools in the area. SO - I am officially the youngest teacher in the district and the newest to the teaching profession! Woo Hoo! One of the other teachers I met today though has a sister that is teaching at my school, Newfane Elementary, also and said that the three of us should get together. She asked me what I like to do and I said whatever (I just want to do anything with anyone at this point!) She suggested kayaking - I quickly asked her if this would be for exercise or for fun and she reassured me for fun! So we are going to exchange info tomorrow and set something up.
Also, I just found out that one of my old neighbors is now living in Boston, which is only 2 hours away so I can go visit her maybe. I have my uncle living in New York, New York AND my grandparents close friends live a little bit north of Keene, NH so I kind of know people around here :) ha ha!
As for what I did today - I had the most ridiculous and annoying laundry mat experience. So how many trips does it take to get your laundry done?
Trip 1: I packed up my laundry, put it in my car and headed to WalMart to go pick up some laundry detergent and dryer sheets to start. After wandering through WalMart for an hour (just to DO something and kill a littleb time) I arrived at the laundry mat. I proceeded to put my laundry into two different washing machines, put my money in ($2 each load) and my laundry detergent to get NO result. I of course had closed the washing machines and when they did not start, I began to panic because I thought my laundry was locked into the washers. I looked around to see if there was an office, someone on duty, or even just a sign with a phone number or a procedure for when this kind of thing happens. Nothing. So I walked around a little and went up to an older man who was also doing laundry. I told him I had never been here before and was having issues with my washers. He walks over, checks it, smacks it a few times and told me that this place is not kept up that well and this happens a lot. Great. He showed me how to use a quarter in this little slot thing to at least get my clothes out of the washers and then told me to look for some washers that are wet-ish because they must work then. So I thanked him and finally got my washers to start. I drove home.
Trip 2: Since the laundry mat is a block down the hill from my house, I decided to walk down to switch my laundry. I was pleased to find the washers had done their job and my clothes were done. So I walk up the dryer and put my quarter in (it says 25 cents next to the slot) and press start. I see the temperature pop up (Hi) and the numbers 06. I think nothing of it and decide to walk home 'thinking' it was all set to go.
Trip 3: I decided to drive this time and go to the Redbox first to return my movie I got last night and get another one for tonight (remember, the Redbox is my BFF for now). Once I finish up at the Redbox I stop at the laundry mat (again). I find my clothes had stopped so I opened it up and they were still a little damp. So I put in another quarter and walk around a bit, looking at the bulletin board in the building. A little bit later I notice that the dryer has stopped again. So I go put in another quarter, and another and notice that the littleb 06 is changing to 12 and then 18. OHHHHHHH each quarter is 6 MINUTES - duhhhhh! SO I put in enough for a half hour or so and drive home.
Trip 4: I waited a half hour and finally walked down to the laundry mat again (I could not drive again) and FINALLY my clothes were dry. After taking them out and folding them I walked back home and put them away.
I sure have learned a lot about what not to do when trying to wash clothes at the laundry mat. After many episodes of wanting to slap myself, I finally had some clean clothes.
Well the little cafe I am sitting in, The Works, is closing at 6 - so I am going to head back home to make some dinner and watch my movie (I got Alice in Wonderland finally)!!
Love and miss you all!! :)
August 2, 2010
Moving To Vermont
Well I will be packing my car up to the brim, picking up my best friend to drive along with me and trecking across the country to Vermont. We leave early Saturday morning and are stopping at my friend's gracious aunt and uncle's house in Ohio along the way.
It is hard to imagine that after being in school for 18 years straight that I will be making the transition from student to teacher. It is funny that even though I have graduated college and have my first job, I will yet again be starting another school year -- this time on the other side of the table. I will go from being a professional student to a first year teacher.
As for the name of my blog, it comes as inspiration from my new principal. When I met him last week he told me this of a new teacher: "Your first year is survival. Your second year is for reflection. And you third year is when you finally begin to teach." So, as I 'survive' this up-coming school year and adventure of moving to a city and state where I know no one I hope that you enjoy reading about everything - good, funny or bad.
I will miss everyone of my family members and close friends as I move to Vermont to embark in my first journey after college but I am truly excited to start this job and live in such a beautiful part of the country. If Vermont is not on your list of places to see/visit you need to add it now!
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