Thursday, April 29, 2010
Long meeting
So yesterday, we had this meeting that was supposed to be 30 minutes but went on to be more than 90 minutes long. That's all well and good. However, a little girl who knows her speech times came in with the principal to ask if she missed speech because she was worried that she had. There's me, not feeling well and being in the process of packing up my things to leave, says, "No. We had a meeting. You didn't miss speech." The principal gave me a look. But really, what I wanted to say was, "What are you trying to do? Get me fired?" to the little girl. I only thought it, I didn't really say it.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Newest "laws" at work
Today, we received an email saying that if you are not a classroom teacher with a homeroom, you should not have a computer. It's not that they don't want us to have access, but...
I stopped reading after that. I was so pissed. Are you even kidding me? I cannot stay in an environment like that. Does anyone even know what it is I do? Does anyone in the office even realize that I have to have a computer in order to complete my job? I don't think they have any concept. At all.
I asked my husband if God takes a look at all the events going on in your life and based on where you are sitting, he decides whether or not you deserve more good or bad things. He says that God doesn't work that way. I wonder what way he is thinking about my job? And I wish I knew if he was going to provide something better for next year, or if I have to suck it up. I wanna cry thinking about having to do that. I don't know which would be worse for me personally: not having a job, or having to work under the micromanagment for another year.
I stopped reading after that. I was so pissed. Are you even kidding me? I cannot stay in an environment like that. Does anyone even know what it is I do? Does anyone in the office even realize that I have to have a computer in order to complete my job? I don't think they have any concept. At all.
I asked my husband if God takes a look at all the events going on in your life and based on where you are sitting, he decides whether or not you deserve more good or bad things. He says that God doesn't work that way. I wonder what way he is thinking about my job? And I wish I knew if he was going to provide something better for next year, or if I have to suck it up. I wanna cry thinking about having to do that. I don't know which would be worse for me personally: not having a job, or having to work under the micromanagment for another year.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Perfect Work Environment
My best friend says that she can't remember a time when I was ever happy in my line of work. That could be true. I can't remember. I remember happier times but my husband says that I have always had a list of complaints about almost every school I worked in.
For example, the last school I worked in only paid it's long-term subs a slightly higher rate than daily sub pay. That sucked.
The school before, well it wasn't full-time in one building.
The school before, I had to teach 3 periods worth of classes. I am not sure how one is supposed to take individualized language goals and teach a coherent class with it.
So, it should go without saying that my present job is not without it's complaints.
So today I was comprising my Perfect Job Environment list. Here goes:
1. Personal workspace. I have never before worked in a spot where I would get kids and then not know where I was going to work with them because there isn't currently space for more than one SLP, even though we have three.
2. A computer. This is also the first school where there wasn't a computer that I could use when I needed one. It's also the first school in MN that I didn't just automatically get my own computer when I signed on at the school. So it goes without saying that when an EA takes the computer home over the weekend and leaves it there, that I might be a tad upset when I can't do any of my computer work on Monday. I'm just saying.
3. Trust. Most districts that I have worked in trust that I know what I am doing and don't try to dictate when or how I can see my students. They have trusted that I provide the best type of service to fit the needs of the student.
4. Social Interaction. I like when the people I work with also become my friends. Most of the people on my postcard list are former co-workers. I miss having co-workers to go do stuff with, whether it be go out for someone's 40th or go to Sam's Club to buy candy for a wedding, or go to Target to buy candy for our prize cupboard, or go to dinner at Paradiso, or to a co-worker's for a haircut. I miss all that.
5. Respect. My husband says that no matter where one works, they will never get the level of respect that they would like. That may be true. I don't know. I would just like to work in an environment where speech is a valued service and we are respected because of the service we bring.
For example, the last school I worked in only paid it's long-term subs a slightly higher rate than daily sub pay. That sucked.
The school before, well it wasn't full-time in one building.
The school before, I had to teach 3 periods worth of classes. I am not sure how one is supposed to take individualized language goals and teach a coherent class with it.
So, it should go without saying that my present job is not without it's complaints.
So today I was comprising my Perfect Job Environment list. Here goes:
1. Personal workspace. I have never before worked in a spot where I would get kids and then not know where I was going to work with them because there isn't currently space for more than one SLP, even though we have three.
2. A computer. This is also the first school where there wasn't a computer that I could use when I needed one. It's also the first school in MN that I didn't just automatically get my own computer when I signed on at the school. So it goes without saying that when an EA takes the computer home over the weekend and leaves it there, that I might be a tad upset when I can't do any of my computer work on Monday. I'm just saying.
3. Trust. Most districts that I have worked in trust that I know what I am doing and don't try to dictate when or how I can see my students. They have trusted that I provide the best type of service to fit the needs of the student.
4. Social Interaction. I like when the people I work with also become my friends. Most of the people on my postcard list are former co-workers. I miss having co-workers to go do stuff with, whether it be go out for someone's 40th or go to Sam's Club to buy candy for a wedding, or go to Target to buy candy for our prize cupboard, or go to dinner at Paradiso, or to a co-worker's for a haircut. I miss all that.
5. Respect. My husband says that no matter where one works, they will never get the level of respect that they would like. That may be true. I don't know. I would just like to work in an environment where speech is a valued service and we are respected because of the service we bring.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Eye of the Beholder
So, Thursday night, I decided that on Friday I would take Lukin (and Parker too) to the mall to use the arm band from Nickelodeon Universe that he had gotten for his 3rd birthday (seeing as we are less than a month from his 4th birthday). I asked my mother-in-law to join us so that she could watch Parker while I went on rides with Lukin. We had a fun morning, followed by lunch in the food court. Lukin had his old standby of McDonalds, and I had Japanese. (Stacie, they had some good looking Sushi, by the way.) After lunch, Carin wanted to go look for some kind of kitchen utinsel and so I took Lukin and we went to play with the legos at Lego Land for a few minutes before we were going to meet up again at The Children's Place. Lukin and Parker both got some sunglasses. Lukin got some flip flops (or as Weesie calls them fling flongs) and I got a couple birthday gifts out of the way.
Later that night, we went to the other mall to get my ring checked for it's 6-month checkup, and order Daddy some contacts. All in all, it was a pretty busy and fun day.
Next morning, I awaken to find that the sun has already come up. I kind of mini-panic because I can't think of what day it is and whether I am supposed to be ready for work right now or not. I then realize that it's Saturday (I'm pretty sure) and I glance at the clock to see it is 7:00. No one bugged me all night. No 3-year-old came in repeatedly needing to have his covers put back on. No baby cried to be nursed. It was a minor miracle of a night.
But even though I slept through the night, I was still exhausted. So, I tiptoed to the bathroom and tiptoed back to bed. About 7:15, a 3-year-old was at my side. I pulled him up into bed with me as he told me he wanted to watch cartoons. If that meant more sleep for me, here's the remote kid. (I know, bad parenting.) About 7:45, baby woke up. And even though we were upstairs by 8:00, it was a slow-to-get-started type morning. We made some blueberry muffins and then just hung out in the livingroom until 11am.
Parker is asleep from nursing and so I lay him down so I can get cleaned up. I start to feel guilty that it's 11 am and none of us are dressed and ready, whereas yesterday, we were already at the mall by 11:00. So as I am getting ready I try to think of something we can do to get us out of the house.
(Read with dripping sarcasm:) As much as I would enjoy taking me kids, to the zoo, by myself, on a Saturday, I resist that urge (end sarcasm). I contemplate the park, but decide against it. So, the best I come up with is for us to walk to KFC (within 3-year-old walking distance) for lunch, which we do.
Lukin doesn't really seem keen on the idea because a)he doesn't want to walk to lunch, and b)he wants McDonalds (again). I veto his decision because a) I'm the mom, and b) Parker can eat mashed potatoes, he can't eat fries.
We order our food and we get our drinks and we go to find a table while we wait for the food to be ready. Lukin picks a table with a highchair already at it. I just follow him. We sit down and get Parker in the highchair and get ourselves organized before the food is ready and then I go grab our lunch and sit down and get everyone set up to eat and lunch begins.
I don't realize until we are eating that there are people (a lady and her son) at the next booth and they are the only other people in the restaurant. It works to our advantage because Parker is so busy watching the lady that he doesn't shake his head at lunch. He just eats. Lukin eats his little Snacker sandwich and mac & cheese pretty good too. When the lady gets up from the next table to leave, she turns to us and tells me that I am doing a good job with the two little ones. She says that it's hard to try to take two little ones out alone (I hear that!) but that I am doing a really good job. I thank her and we chit chat for a few minutes, then she leaves.
Her compliment sticks with me the rest of the day.
Even though, walking to KFC for lunch wasn't exactly my idea of great parenting for the day, someone else viewed my solo attempt at lunch out with two little ones as being a good effort. I guess perspective is all in the eye of the beholder.
Later that night, we went to the other mall to get my ring checked for it's 6-month checkup, and order Daddy some contacts. All in all, it was a pretty busy and fun day.
Next morning, I awaken to find that the sun has already come up. I kind of mini-panic because I can't think of what day it is and whether I am supposed to be ready for work right now or not. I then realize that it's Saturday (I'm pretty sure) and I glance at the clock to see it is 7:00. No one bugged me all night. No 3-year-old came in repeatedly needing to have his covers put back on. No baby cried to be nursed. It was a minor miracle of a night.
But even though I slept through the night, I was still exhausted. So, I tiptoed to the bathroom and tiptoed back to bed. About 7:15, a 3-year-old was at my side. I pulled him up into bed with me as he told me he wanted to watch cartoons. If that meant more sleep for me, here's the remote kid. (I know, bad parenting.) About 7:45, baby woke up. And even though we were upstairs by 8:00, it was a slow-to-get-started type morning. We made some blueberry muffins and then just hung out in the livingroom until 11am.
Parker is asleep from nursing and so I lay him down so I can get cleaned up. I start to feel guilty that it's 11 am and none of us are dressed and ready, whereas yesterday, we were already at the mall by 11:00. So as I am getting ready I try to think of something we can do to get us out of the house.
(Read with dripping sarcasm:) As much as I would enjoy taking me kids, to the zoo, by myself, on a Saturday, I resist that urge (end sarcasm). I contemplate the park, but decide against it. So, the best I come up with is for us to walk to KFC (within 3-year-old walking distance) for lunch, which we do.
Lukin doesn't really seem keen on the idea because a)he doesn't want to walk to lunch, and b)he wants McDonalds (again). I veto his decision because a) I'm the mom, and b) Parker can eat mashed potatoes, he can't eat fries.
We order our food and we get our drinks and we go to find a table while we wait for the food to be ready. Lukin picks a table with a highchair already at it. I just follow him. We sit down and get Parker in the highchair and get ourselves organized before the food is ready and then I go grab our lunch and sit down and get everyone set up to eat and lunch begins.
I don't realize until we are eating that there are people (a lady and her son) at the next booth and they are the only other people in the restaurant. It works to our advantage because Parker is so busy watching the lady that he doesn't shake his head at lunch. He just eats. Lukin eats his little Snacker sandwich and mac & cheese pretty good too. When the lady gets up from the next table to leave, she turns to us and tells me that I am doing a good job with the two little ones. She says that it's hard to try to take two little ones out alone (I hear that!) but that I am doing a really good job. I thank her and we chit chat for a few minutes, then she leaves.
Her compliment sticks with me the rest of the day.
Even though, walking to KFC for lunch wasn't exactly my idea of great parenting for the day, someone else viewed my solo attempt at lunch out with two little ones as being a good effort. I guess perspective is all in the eye of the beholder.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Annual Job Search Starts
It's disheartening when job openings come and go so fast that you don't even have time to apply for them. I saw one over the weekend and wanted to apply to it. I knew that the deadline for it was today, and so I went to upload my materials this evening, and it was already gone from the website. I sure hope that isn't a taste of what's to come in term of a job search for next year. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I am in need of a job, cuz I have one, but I want to know what other options are out there. If anyone knows of one, please let me know. Really.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Weekend
The boys were supposed to go to Texas this weekend for Ben's birthday. However, my sister-in-law had a cold that my mother-in-law didn't want the boys to get, and she didn't want to get it herself either. That was fine. Except that I needed to get a bunch of work done this weekend. Thankfully, I was able to get all my work stuff that needed to be done by Friday, done on Saturday. And I didn't have to spend the weekend all alone. I had made myself a things-to-do list, but many things got crossed off when I realized that I wouldn't have to find ways to fill my time.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine
If you have some free time in your schedule, I suggest that you go see this movie. I know, it's not a huge blockbuster like Titanic or anything. But, it was laugh out loud funny. I found myself laughing right out loud several times.
We went to see it because the very first time we saw a preview, my husband said, we gotta see a movie with that title. It was more like it had an 80s theme for him and John Cusack for me. I enjoyed it. Didn't know if I would, but I did.
We went to see it because the very first time we saw a preview, my husband said, we gotta see a movie with that title. It was more like it had an 80s theme for him and John Cusack for me. I enjoyed it. Didn't know if I would, but I did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
