A Work Dilemna

[Veronica]

I REALLY can't wait to be done. I'm going to miss my kids. You get attached after two years. But... the adults...

Fifth grade decided to do fun events for the students the last 4 days of school - a picnic, movie day, an ice cream social and a field day. Three of those days are half days. The job share team is useless for doing any of the planning. I don't dare ask the one with anxiety to do anything and her partner is so clueless about anything outside their classroom. The other teacher in the team, any time I see her, she's sighing heavily and saying, "Ai, ai, ai." I guess because her class is just driving her crazy. We asked our students to bring in money to help off set the cost of our picnic at a local water park - 10 bucks a kid to pay for admission, pizza, drinks, snacks, parking and craft supplies. I have 26 kids going. I have $260. The other two classes have $50 and $140. They each have about 25 kids going.

Our clientele is basically the same. I don't have more well off families. I did have two families donate more than what was asked for and a couple of kids who didn't bring in anything. One of the nice things about taking the combo class next year, is I will not be working so closely with these teachers anymore.

Veronica

[Crankin]

Try to enjoy those fun days, Veronica. Truly, that's what I remember! And looping is the best.
I had an aha teaching moment last week. I was at a meeting with a parent of one of my clients and her guidance counselor. This kid is in 8th grade, which is at the high school, in my old district. We were brainstorming ways to get her involved in after school and summer activities; she is severely depressed and sort of hanging out with other kids who support this. The guidance counselor suggested the drama club, for the stagecraft stuff, not the acting, because she is very quiet. The mom piped up and said, "No, she loves acting. She had a big part in "the" 7th grade play." I looked at her and asked, "Do you mean "A MIdsummer Night's Dream?" When the mom said yes, I realized that something I started as part of the ELA curriculum is now "institutionalized." It's "the" play. It was a validating feeling.