Last Day (again)

So here I am. Ten in the morning and I am actually done with everything that I need to do. My shelves are all organized and my car is packed. There is a tiny pile (maybe ten sheets) of paper that need to be shred. And my check out paperwork sitting beside me. It's a far cry from the way the room looked when I got here this morning.

Yesterday, I came with this energy to get everything done. I had completed all my necessary paperwork but wanted to make sure that I organized the files for each of the students only to realize that I hadn't cleaned out those files since I started here. That process took all of my morning and part of the afternoon. I had a box that was full, and couldn't be closed, of papers that needed to be shred. By the time all that was done, it was 2:30 and I hadn't even touched my classroom. It made for a fun day.

But it did have a fun ending. We all went out for adult beverages. It was fun to sit and visit with some of the people you never really have a chance to visit with during the year. And it was especially important to go in case I don't get to come back next year.

So, I have packed up my room, again and will spend another summer interviewing for jobs I don't want, again, and waiting for the phone to ring and for Stephanee to offer me my position back with the necessary time allotment that I need in order to qualify for insurance, again. I hope to be back and I hope not to have to do this packing again next year.

Looking out for Number One

This morning I did something that I wouldn't normally do. I called a woman back regarding an open position in her district. Granted, I didn't actually talk with the woman herself, but the message went something like this:

"Hi, I am calling in reference to the message that I received regarding the .5 position open at your high school. I wanted to let you know that I am currently looking for a tenure-track position with benefits, and so if the position you were calling about meets that criteria, please call me back and we can set up an interview. The interview time that you had suggested does not work for me as we are still in school."

I have to keep telling myself that what Autumn said is true: They need us more than we need them. If there is such a need for people with my training, then I have the right to ask for what I want in a job. That doesn't mean that I will get it, but I know that I won't get what I want, if I don't even ask. So we will see. Like I mentioned before, keep your fingers crossed for me.

Thursday ramblings

So today i stood up for myself. Well, I don't know if that's the right way to say it but, I did something today because I want to have my same job in the fall. Yesterday, I talked with one of the teachers here at school and found out that our building supervisor actually has no control over who is hired as the SLP. Great. I wish I would have known that fact. I thought that by asking me if I wanted to come back was kind of indicative of that not being true.

Regardless, I found this out yesterday and had a mini-nervous breakdown because I am not seriously persuing other options. I called my husband as I drove between buildings and talked it over with him and then proceeded to go to my next school where I talked it over with the SLP that I share an office with. She told me that she sent an email before stating what she wanted to work and basically just letting the 'powers that be' know what she was looking for in staying with the district. She also let me know that she did that when she was not tenured, so that it would be okay for me to do that, not being tenured.

So that is what I did. I typed up this letter and wanted to show it to the building coordinator, but she was in a meeting with the rest of the special ed. coordinators so I sent the letter to all of them via email. Now I wait. I felt silly and rather presumptuous in doing that, but many staff have told me that by doing that, it was a good way to let them know I am interested and to keep my name in their ears. So keep your fingers crossed for me.

Random thoughts on a Wednesday

So I want to give a quick shout out to Sonny's best man, who came down to see us this weekend. Granted he wasn't even here for 24 hours, he still made the trip. We took him to a Twins game and then out for wings and beer (and Amanda there was sports on the TVs around us). It was fun. But I learned not to make bets about people who have never come to see us, coming to see us. It's like an instant incentive for them to show up and then I lose. Boo.

So last night, I was trying to do my jumping jacks and jump roping again, but my knees still hurt. Yuck.

I am ready to be done with school. Working into June is way outside my ZOF. Having gone to school up through college and then into the professional word for four years not working in June, it is hard to get out of bed in the mornings these first two weeks of June. I know, most people don't work in education and have to work all year around. But, like I said to my husband when he made a comment about that, "Whose fault is that? Not mine."

This morning I finished up the last two reports that I have to complete for the year. Thank goodness. I stared at this last one for like 10 minutes because, even though it was adequate, I felt like I didn't know what to write. My brain is ready for summer vacation. I wish I got to go on a bunch of field trips in the last seven days of school, but I don't. Itinerant staff never gets that luxury. Bummer.

Knees

So today, my knees are killing me. I don't know what is going on exactly. On the way down the steps this morning to get Lukin up, I thought my knees were being weird. They had this dull ache to them. They almost feel like they are separate entities today. I don't even get it. Then when I was walking into work, I tripped over my own feet and thought that it was because of my knees. If anyone has any advice for me and my knees, I would be glad to hear it.

Generations

So this weekend, I spent time with my grandma, her husband, my mom, and my son. There were others, but those were the main players in my weekend. And I have to say that it is funny how the more time you spend together, the more obvious the generational gap seems to be.

For example: On Saturday night, my grandma and her husband were preparing this big meal for the family so we could celebrate my son's 2nd birthday and my grandma's husband's 65th birthday. While they were in the process of preparing all this food, they got warm. Well, their solution was to turn the AC down to 70 degrees. Now, I know that if you are hot, that would seem like the logical thing to do. But I think it was this generational thing that made me upset that they thought it was okay to let the AC run at 70 degrees. At our house, we would never think to turn it down to 70 in the summer (nor would we let it be as high as 70 in the winter).

I just had to shrug my shoulders because what good would trying to lecture about preserving the planet do when explaining it to those who are older? I didn't know the answer.

On a side note, I also noted that the older you get, the more that you feel having floral patterned stuff if okay. I am glad I am not there yet either.

YouTube

I don't know if I have ever mentioned this before, but I really enjoy YouTube. I don't use it for much reallly, but whenever I have a song in my head and want to hear it, I just go to YouTube, type it in, and there's my song. I love that. Today, I decided that I wanted to hear 'Say it Right' because I haven't heard it in a long time. Then I decided that I wanted to hear some Paul McCartney from the 90s, post Beatles Anthology, pre-Linda passing away. I just think it is nice that there is the technology available so that I can tune into these songs whenever I really want to. That's pretty awesome. Thanks YouTube.