Dear Blog World-
I apologize for neglecting you lately. You mean a lot to me and I really appreciate the opportunities you give me to blab my mouth. It's not because I don't love you, I do. I also promise to try to communicate with you at least once a week, no matter how crazy life gets :)
As I sit here (knowing I should be in bed), I am reflecting over the summer. It was another great one for the books. Although we didn't go on some big vacation to a far away land, we had fun! We spent time with family and friends. We did things we love. Now, don't get me wrong. It wasn't all smiley faces and bubbles. There were days when I was ready to pull my hair out and run away to the loony bin. Looking back on it now, I smile with happy thoughts.
I start back to work full time tomorrow. Most teachers are able to get their classrooms ready. They can put new posters up, re-arrange their rooms, tape name tags on their desks, and look back and smile. Me? Nope. I try to find activities for students birth to age 5 that will help them reach their goals. I try to cram as many materials into plastic crates or diaper boxes that I have so elegantly plastered with contact paper. I load up all my folders with each kids individual info, my schedule, and the other bazillion papers that go along with special ed. I make sure I have paper clips, stapler, scissors and whatever else I need. I load it all up in my car and ta-da! My room is ready :)
I may not have my "dream classroom". I may not have storage space. I may not have a clean office in my house where you can see the floor, but it's all worth it. I LOVE my job for many reasons. I get to know the families. I deal with most of them on a weekly basis. I don't have to worry about meeting standards. I worry about what the families want and need. I get to help them with what THEY want! It's pretty much amazing.
I also have the opportunity to work with other amazing professionals. I work side by side with Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, School Psychologists, and Speech Language Pathologists. I am taking classes for my Master's, yes. I am learning a lot, yes. However, I have learned more from the other professionals I work with than any class could have ever taught me (thanks Becky). I am just a young pup starting out and I have this incredible opportunity to work with people who have been through just about anything you can think of.
After our All-Staff Day, I was in tears by the end of the day. I was able to keep the 4 schools I was working in last year, and I was given 6 new schools! Whaaaa? Are you kidding me? Another lady who did the same job as me retired. Instead of hiring someone new, they gave me her caseload on top of mine. The bad part was that what she left me with was a bit of a disaster. I had no information but the kids names and DOB. I wasn't able to get into any information on the computer in any of my new districts. The Results Matter (State blah-blah-blah) stuff apparently she couldn't log into anymore, leaving me with NOTHING.
After almost a few days of letting this sink in and weeding through the mess, I'm feeling good about it. I know I can do a good job, I know I can make a difference! That's all that matters. So, starting tomorrow I am going to focus on what's important-THE KIDS AND FAMILIES!
Happy School Year Everyone! Make a Difference no matter what your doing. Make someone smile, help out when you don't need to, and LOVE each other!
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