Job Update

Hey girls-- I hope everyone is doing well and settling into their jobs nicely so far. I thought I'd take the time to let you know what was going on with me. I spent the summer applying to K-2nd positions in Palm Beach County and emailing out my resume/cover letter or dropping copies off to schools in my area (I was working full time so I couldn't make as many visits to schools as I wanted), with no luck. I was called last Thursday for an interview at a school down here for an iterim Pre-K ESE position, and went in and interviewed Friday morning. That afternoon the AP called to offer me the job. I was really torn up about whether or not I should accept, since the 11 day count is coming up this Tuesday and I still would prefer a permenant job. Unfortunately, with the current school climate I was pretty much told by everyone I spoke with that this was my ticket into the school system and that it would be in my best interests to accept the job and worry about what is going to happen to me at the end of my term later. So this morning I officially accepted the job and will be starting in a few weeks. The kids seem great, I will have a full-time aid and a part time speech teacher in the classroom with me, and there are only 7 students right now. They have all been diagnosed with autism and are in the mid-functioning range, are all verbal to some extent, and don't seem to have many of the typical challenging behaviors that are seen in students with Autism. It should be a nice 6 weeks while I'm employed, and I am looking forward to doing something besides sit around the house. I am hoping that it will lead to SOMETHING more permanent opening up to me in the future and am keeping my fingers crossed for that to happen. Hope all is going well with you.

Christina

Dear cohort, Being a teacher is so hard. I never imagined such a tough time but I have been crying almost everyday because it is so much to do and deal with and think about. I need you to send me some encouragement. I actually thought I wanted to quit on Wednesday but then I remembered that the first year is always hard and my kids are extra special and they need me. I have one boy who would be considered oppisationally defiant - if I tell him to do something, he finds a reason not to do it. For example, he is very smart and wrote his nam eperfectly (one of the only kids who could do it) on the first day of school. This week, all he says, and he doesnt say it, he yells it, is "I can't write my name!" "I can't do it!" And then he writes random letters. We read The littel engine that could twice and talk about how we don't use the word can't in my room, we just say, " I think I can." So when he says, "I can't" another girl at his table usually says, "No Ke'Vaugn, say, I think I can" and then the whole class chants it and he will for a minute and then moves to "I think I can't I think I can't." On Tuesday he was throwing his pencil in the air and I said, KeVaugn, please don't do that. Your pencil needs to be used to write your name. And he said, "Why?" And I said, "Throwing pencils is dangerous (we had a whole lesson about this the day before because KeShawn was throwing scissors and Patrick was throwing pencils). I said, "You could poke someone in the eye or poke yourself in the eye and I need my students to see so they can do their work" and he says, "You want me to poke my eye?" And he put his pencil SO close to his eye I nearly passed out from a heart attack because I thought he was going to poke it. So I told him I needed him for a special job and I sent him to the office with the lunch money. I talk to his mom every morning and afternoon adn she is really adament about fixing this behavior but it is seriously killing me. If I tell a student they are doing a great job (even if it is just sitting criss cross on the rug) he yells out, "You don't think I'm doing a good job?" "You want me in the corner!" "I'm a bad boy." And I say, "No Ke'Vaugn, you are a good boy and a smart boy and I need you to show me what you should be doing." We are using a daily behavior sheet with him that has smiley faces and sad faces and I talk to his mom daily but it takes every ounce of my energy to deal with him and him along. I have another boy, Keshawn who is also on the path of distruction but I can actually get him to focus if I really try and think of every single thing we learned about behavior management. For example, when the kids are sitting on the rug for calendar time, he is yelling or playing with the computers, or running around. He is the one who loves to throw things across the table - crayons, pencils, scissors, you name it. Then we have Mr. Patrick Brown - the boy who might drive me off the edge. He is cute but has no self control, loves to throw things, never stays in the right place or does what he needs to do, and has been pushing, punching, and fighting. I sent him to the prinicpal's office on Friday for punching a student and she jus tlet him sit there and he fell asleep for 2.5 hours. The poor kid isn't getting enough sleep and he has a newborn baby sister and he has been staying with his Auntie and his mom is about 19 or 20 years old and too worried about the baby to deal with him and his issues. This is the worst thing that has happened, well maybe not worst but: Patrick was sitting at the table on Thur because he had to watch the other kids paint since he did not make good choices. I was helping some kids with their projects and looked over and Patrick had his hand up Wynter's skirt and he was well - you know. I almost passed out again. I could not believe it. THEY ARE 5!!! So I seperated them and asked the PreK 4 teacher what they heck I should do. She told me to call their parents just to let them know and to talk to the class about private parts and how no one touches them but you or maybe your parents at bathtime but no one in school should ever touch a part of your body the your bathing suit covers. The afterschool care lady told me that she caught Joshua touching and squeezing wynter's boobs on the playground so I am really worried about her and am hoping she hasn't been abused or isn't seeing too much at home. I talked to her about it yesterday but she seemed innocent enough. I have to keep a close eye on her. Ra-Nya has ADD, she cannot sit at lunch for more than a minute and she has trouble sitting and doing her work. Alan was left back last year in public school and his report card is not too helpful to tell me why he was held back. It turns out he definirely has ADHD and he gets distracted SO easily and it is SO hard but not only that, his pants are too small and they wouldn't button and then he broke his belt so all day yesterday he had to have me try to zip them up and he said, "MY pants don't fit me," and then guess what happened: KeVaugn pulled his pants down and said, "Ms. O'Hara, my pants don't fit me." I am not exaggerating at all as I write these stories for you. Darling loves to grunt and throw tantrums and when she gets in trouble, she proceeds to wail - so loudly - and it is so difficult to calm her down. She is getting better though, so that is good. Then there is Jasmine who has diabetes. I have to check her blood and give her an injection of insulin before lunch everyday and before she goes home. She is really good about it but her blood sugar is always high and it makes me sad because I know how much that stinks. I have 2 parents who are illiterate that I know of which makes communicating by papers nearly immpossible. But I have no energy to call them because these other kids are near about killing me. Not only all that, but my prinicpal is pretty much horrible. People told me she kind of sucked, but she is a 75 year old nun who has been at the school for 32 years so I figured she couldnm't be that bad. But she comes into my room almost everyday and tells me things I need to change. She wants me to had 7 or 8 centers at a time and to push my desk against the wall so the kids can play under it. She wants centers to be only manipulatives because she told me this yesterday, "Kids should not be in school at 5 years old. They are too young. They need to be at home with their parents. I wish Kindergarten did not exist." So I pretty much wanted to cry but I just said, "I think what we do in Kingeraten lays a foundation for the rest of their time in school." And then she said, "How long are you having them nap in the afternoon?" And I said, "They rest for like 20 minutes," and she said, "They need to be laying down for 45 mins-an hour during the first few months of school." Now this sounds OK because I only get 1 25 minute break a day while the kids are at PE (I have them at lunch too) but when I tried this yesterday, the kids went crazy because no 5 year old takes a nap anymore and it was a disaster. So I am going to cut out the nap and if she asks again I will tell her that they get some rest time after lunch. I think I will still have them put their heads down for like 20 minutes or so. But anyway - this one really sucked. I had them on the playground last week and she came out and said, "Ms. O'Hara, why are your kids outside?" and I said, "For recess. They really need to burn off some energy." And she said, "We don't really do recess at St. Pius. The kids get too wiggly. They need to be inside at centers or something. You can use it once in a blue moon for a reward, but that is all." Now I did not know what to say as you know how passionate I am about recess. So I said yes maam and took them inside but I need to gather some research and take it into her office to show her why it is so important. Most of the teachers at my schoool really dislike her and told me that I have to stick up to her or she will continue to boss me around all year. Does anyone have any good research on recess? I'd love to have it if you do - my email is lohara88@gmail.com. And now I am worn out after spilling my guts but to those of you who are not teaching, just let it be known that it has not been easy for me and I am hoping things continually improve. I know they will, but man oh man I never imagined what a crazy life this owuld be. I am about to go to the public library to check out books on colors and shapes because my school library does not have many to choose from - they dont even have Brown Brea Brown Bear!! I love you all and hope things are well. Update us soon!