I am now 2 weeks into my new job at the high school. It's exhausting, but it really does feel absolutely amazing when I'm working with the students and suddenly they realize they can understand the homework. There really is light bulb that you can just see turn on behind their eyes. One extra person in the classroom to spend just a few minutes with them really does help, and I have already had a substitute in the classroom that thinks the school is spending too much money on para's...boo to him.
One of the teachers who is totally amazing with the students, and took time everyday the first week to run through each of the students back grounds with me so I can understand them better has been hospitalized for the better portion of last week. Not sure if it was a stroke or what, but she is in the ICU - There was a rumor that she was being transferred to South Bend. I got a card with music for the students to sign on Friday and I took it to her at the hospital after school with some balloons. She did not look good. She moved all of her limbs, but couldn't move them on demand when asked to. Another teacher I work with showed up at the same I did and asked her what food she wanted her to have read when she returned to work, and we tossed some places out there, and when we got to Culver's she said "...That...sounds...good..." But then the doc asked her if 1) she knew her name - no - 2) if she knew where she was - no - 3) if she knew what city she was in - no - It was so sad. =( So we are not really sure if she knew who we were - but she smiled at the card, and her sister read her all of the students names and 'get well' 'come back soon' messages. The card had baby chickens on it, and said "Just wanted to give a little shout-out...." Open > "To one of my favorite peeps." and played SHOUT. Of course, I bought it thinking she would be back on Monday, not realizing how serious everything was.
Back to a happier note - My schedule is great because I change classrooms every period but the last 2. Second and Forth are the same teacher, but totally different classes and students.
1st: low-learning English class
2nd: US History
3rd: MO room - class with intellectual disabilities, students with autism type classroom
4th: Literature
5th: Life Science
6th: Lunch
7th: Algebra 1
8th: Algebra 1
