News at Home: Longest Week
This was the Longest Week! And since Monday feels like it was months ago, not just a few days, I’m having a hard time recalling what all happened this week. I remember Friday – which was an okay day. We had PLCs (professional learning community) and quite frankly it sucked. They have all these new requirements for the posting of our lesson plans and it’s ridiculous. It’s like, “would you like me to do the job of teaching, or writing down every detail? Because that’s two jobs and I barely get paid for the one.” We were all pretty pissed – because we have team lesson plans, but to expect to walk into any one of our classes and see the EXACT same thing going on is ridiculous. But that’s what’s expected. Grr! My team as a whole has pretty much agreed that yeah, we aren’t going to sweat it. We’re doing the bare minimum on those lesson plans and we’ll take the hand slap. Because we’d rather put our energy into teaching…. our ACTUAL jobs.
Oh and I’ve definitely identified my “problem” student. Because you will always have one. But I’m working on him and he had a couple really good days this week, so fingers crossed I can keep the class disruptions to a minimum.
Oh and another fun story for you. We had both our first weather drill (tornado mostly) and first lockdown drill this week. For upper grades these drills have different procedures but for kinder, we end up in our bathrooms. Anyway, I’ve prepared the kids for the drills and sent them all to the bathroom ahead of time because they cannot use the restroom with all of us in there. (And yes, eww, kids having to sit on the bathroom floor. But it’s about safety, right?) Well my friend with autism, who has shown a tendency to disrobe struck again. I tried so hard to prepare him for the drill, showing him what we’re going to do and all. So here we all are, in the bathroom, being super quiet, and he stands up and starts to pull down his pants. I’m like, “No! NO! you can’t go to the bathroom!” I get him to stop, but he’s crying saying he has to go and being super loud – when we’re supposed to be in lockdown (aka hiding from someone with a weapon in the school)… I’m like, “crap, if this were real we’d so be dead…” So I’ve got to figure out how to teach him about the situation. *sigh*
Of course what sticks out are the difficult moments, but it wasn’t a bad week. Just a long one. I know my kids did really well on Wednesday, they got several compliments for doing so well, in fact. Meanwhile, is it really only September?
Blog News
I managed to do some visiting last Sunday! Yay! I’m going to try again tomorrow – and I’m working on some blog posts tonight so hopefully I won’t lose that forward momentum I gained during the summer.
#FitReaders Update
I’m going to start reporting the most important things I’m tracking right now – exercise/steps (goal daily yoga and at least 6k steps a day), calories (goal within 1000), and protein (goal at least 65g).
Here’s a rundown on my week:
Saturday: hadn’t started yoga yet, 2,750 steps; 810 calories, 72g protein
Sunday: 10 min morning yoga, 5,070 steps; 388 calories, 30g protein (not my best day)
Monday: 10 min morning yoga, 8,341 steps; 720 calories, 67g protein
Tuesday: 10 min morning yoga, 8,070 steps; 685 calories, 88g protein
Wednesday: 10 min morning yoga, 12,625 steps – did zumba!; 505 calories, 74g protein
Thursday: 10 min morning yoga, 7,834 steps (was sore from zubma); 844 calories, 90g protein
Friday: 10 min morning yoga, 7,317 steps; 721 calories, 85g protein
Even though I didn’t meet all my goals, I’m happy with how I’m doing. Some days I’ve just been so tired and I think respecting that is as important as my goals. I’m loving doing my 10 minutes of morning yoga. I suck at it hard core, but it feels good to stretch like that every morning and I like to think I’ll someday be good at it if I keep practicing. I found a pretty good app for giving me different easy routines and I’m really liking it.
I posted this before and currently on Facebook, but for those that didn’t get to see it…
That says I’ve lost 44.8 pounds because it’s from picture to picture – since surgery it’s actually 41 pounds (that’s the closest picture I have because I didn’t think to take a before picture!). I’m happy, though I’ve definitely slowed down. I had been at a pound a day average, but I’m 46 days out now so it’s a little less. And I’m sure it’ll slow more in upcoming weeks. But I feel good and even though I eat very little, I’m satisfied. Had my 3rd class birthday this week and didn’t even lick the icing that got on my fingers from giving the kids cupcakes. I have no desire to try it because I’m terrified of getting sick (especially at work!). For me, a glass of apple juice provides all the sweet I need now!
Last Week on the Blog
- [18 Sep] Watchers by Dean Koontz ★★★
- [18 Sep] The Luminary by Elle J. Rossi ★★★
- [20 Sep] Bubbly Berls is Babbling about Kindle Highlightling
- [21 Sep] Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh ★★★★
- [22 Sep] The Unfairest of Them All (Ever After High #2) by Shannon Hale ★★★★★
- [23 Sep] Sunday Post with Berls | Longest Week
- [24 Sep] Things just need to slow down so I can catch up ~ WIR & SP
Coming Next Week From Me
Saturday
Sunday Post with Berls
Monday
Frostline Review
Tuesday
TTT – Ten Books That Feature Characters I’d totally trade places with
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!
I just finished…
I finished A Quick Bite and it’s crazy how a book I thought I might DNF became a solid 3 star read – the last couple chapters were gripping! I don’t think I’ll read more in the series, but still!
I finished listening to White Trash Zombie Unchained and gah! it was good. It was also clearly that last book, which is a little devastating π
Reading Now…
I’m listening to Accidental Sire by Molly Harper and it’s great as always. Lots of laughs and snark π
I’ve JUST started Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs – haven’t gotten far, but already I’m remembering why I love these books.
Oh and I’m STILL working on Teaching with Love and Logic. And it’s still good, just taking it slow.
Up Next…
No idea…
Oh wow, your story about the kid wanting to pee when everyone is in the bathroom! I’m sure it’s not supposed to be funny, but I totally chuckled. I hope it goes easier for you next time around. Congrats on the weight loss and all you’ve accomplished there as well! It’s seriously something to be proud of.
Thanks! Even though at the moment it was frustrating, I can totally laugh at it now that it’s over. A lot of my frustrating moments are actually quite funny later π
Wow. I can’t imagine doing what you’re doing with these kids. I can’t imagine keeping a group of young kids quiet for any length of time, much less when you have an Autistic kid too. I’m sure you will work it it out. You’re so good with those kids. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Melanie π it is difficult, but they’re getting better and better at knowing what’s expected. These first few weeks are always the hardest because they don’t know my expectations.
Oh… I really liked Accidental Sire. I think it’s the best HMH book in a long while!
Great job on the weight loss, but more importantly on moving ahead after surgery. You’ve made some great goals and you are working hard to meet them. I’m so proud of you! And you look amazing (both before and after!) Woot!
Accidental sire grew on me. At first I thought I was going to DNF, but I ended up enjoying it!
Thanks Jen! It’s amazing how tired I am, so that’s been a big adjustment. But I’m feeling good overall and am happy with the progress π Hope you have a great week!!
Love and Logic is probably the only classroom management theory that I thought was worthwhile! Great book! Congrats on the weight loss. That is amazing and certainly something to be proud of!
Oh, ‘that kid’. I consider it a successful year if there is only 1 of them. This year, so far, it seems I just have the 1…but they are teenagers so that could change tomorrow!!
Hahaha it could change tomorrow with 5 year olds too (but for different reasons)! I agree, love and logic is uniquely useful. I read it before teaching and, while it was useful then, I feel like I didn’t get a lot of it until teaching. So I’m super enjoying my slow reread. Hope you have a great week!
Ugh, so ridiculous with the expectations. It’s like, do you want me to sit all day and do admin work or actually teach this class? How frustrating! You are so winning at getting those steps in! Glad you were actually able to get some reading in there, too. I’m still trying to get through the last of the YA contemporary arc’s that I have pending and then I totally feel like getting into some paranormal reads.
Thank you! I was at 10k a day pre-surgeey, but now I don’t have the same energy. So I’m working back up. Yes! Please let me teach and when you walk into my room I’d hope you can figure out what’s going on without a book to read from. *sigh* I’m very frustrated :/
Oh I hope you get to do some paranormal soon, I always enjoy a para stint π have a great week!
I had coworkers at the other middle school in my town astonished at what I told her our “PLCs” were like. No wonder our kids aren’t’ performing well. You want me to waste 0993847307430984 hours of time I could be planning to create new or hone better lessons to instead look at a bunch of numbers and hear how low now 7th grade students scored on a TEK. No, no, you don’t need to look at your student’s 5th grade data to see our students performed last year, we’re going to look at the 7th graders’ old data. No, we can compare different groups of kids. It will show us trends. That’s what we were told 2 weeks ago, and everyone but admin was shaking their damn heads. OK, whatever, keep telling yourselves that. Nope, we are not allowed to do our ACTUAL jobs.
I wonder if you do your own practice lockdowns in the classroom if some repetition will help teach your student with autism what to do in that situation – and not to go potty. We practice fire drills even in 6th grade because they want to take their backpack, they want to run down the hall, they want to scream. So every so often we’ll do a practice ourselves.
Congratulations on your weight loss! You are on a roll!
PLCs are the worst. And I’m so sick of people at the top trying to find reasons that kids are failing that makes it the teacher’s fault. How about they come from socio-economic disadvantages so huge, to expect them to perform like that wealthy white counterparts is stupid? How about the fact that they are doing as well as they are should be a round of applause for teachers and students?! And how about nothing about state testing is appropriate, so let’s ignore the shit out of it!? Grrr. Meanwhile, I’d like to focus on doing my job, please. So yeah, I feel ya!
I was thinking we might have to do that. I mean, we won’t have a lot of those drills but God forbid we actually have a situation… I would hate to have him yelling and crying, revealing our position.
Thanks Charlie! Have a great week π
Congrats on the weight loss!! You are looking great!!
Thanks Hillary! Have a great week!
It must really be hard having a kid with autism, maybe there will be away to get him use to that type of situation. Sounds like maybe you could use a helper for just watching over him and helping him through things. Great job on the weight loss, I am really happy this is working for you! π
Hope this week is not as long!
Stormi oxox
I’ve had one every year and this boy is the easiest so far. It’s not that I don’t want them, it’s that I feel ill equipped to give them what they need. At this age especially, I feel they need to be in SPED classrooms.
Thanks, I’m very happy with the results so far. Have a great week!
It was homecoming week, so I feel you. It was a long week.
Oh gah! Bless you – so glad I don’t have to mess with that in Kinder π Here’s to a shorter week lol!!
Aww I feel for the kid with autism- hopefully that works out. He’ll learn in time, I’m sure. Sounds like he’s in good hands with you. π
White Trash Zombie looks fun, I just saw that one at the bookstore the other day and I love that latest cover!
I do too, he’s such a sweet boy, we’ll get him there!
Have you read any of the WTZ Greg? They’re so good and now it’s done you can just zoom through them!
I know how hard it is to get a kid with Autism to follow directions. It takes a lot of time and sometimes it still doesn’t happen. Maybe a visual plan would work better for him?
I also had a long week and this weekend is going so fast but I have a sick kid now.
You look amazing! I am so happy for you! You are doing such an awesome job! I have to send you a like for a 30 day Yoga Challenge that Angie sent me. I still need to find time to do it but you might be able to.
Have a great week, we totally need a chat day! The days just need to slow down! oxoxo I miss you!
I have a bunch of visuals for him – out schedule, his personal clipboard that he uses for doing work, and instructions throughout the day. So I guess I need to find visuals to explain lock down… I have bathroom visuals and he’s gotten better with them. It’s just so much for me, because I’m not a SPED teacher. I’m happy to have SPED kids, but when they need so MUCH accommodation I wonder if they wouldn’t do better in a SPED classroom, that can provide those things for them more easily.
Uh-oh who’s sick? π you just can’t get a weekend free of crap, can you? Xoxo miss you too!!
I think they would be or maybe an aid for just him. Ryan has one and he’s in a special school. It’s just helps them stay focused. They do need a lot of attention.
The boy isn’t feeling well….not sure what is wrong. It’s like never ending!!!
Hugs to Ryan! Yeah, I wish we had an aid for him or something. He’s a sweet boy and I’m trying so hard to give him all he needs but I’m not really equipped as a gen. Ed. Teacher. :/
Do you know any special ed teachers that might advise you or might have tools you can use to help him? Maybe it could make it easier on you to chat with someone like that. I’m sure you probably have already but it’s a suggestion. I do it with Ryan all the time, it took me years to figure it out and it is always changing and I have to figure it out all over again. You are a great teacher and I know you are doing your best to handle him, it’s hard not having the “help” you need in school! ***hugs***
Yeah, I share a walk through with a ppcd teacher and she helps me a lot with tools and suggestions. It’s just a challenge. But he’s not a bad kid by any means, so that makes it easier π