It has been days since I have written. One reason-I am working many hours in the week, trying to get it all done before the end of the year. Many evenings I have been at school until 7:00 or so, working on reports, and it will continue to be such until the last day.
Other things clamoring for attention and time are just waiting for me-and, at this point, waiting until school is out, I would imagine. To update you on recent happenings, although I am extremely busy at work, things are going well. I am enjoying my work at both schools. This week, I have been visiting schools with special programs-one, a self-contained program for MR (mentally retarded) students, and one a special day school for those children who have significant emotional disturbance. We are trying to determine placement for some of our special 5th graders who may need what these programs offer.
I attended a meeting at another elementary school and enjoyed meeting staff there. So far, this week, I've prepared for 5 staffings (I've gotten to hold 4 of them, we had a no show parent for 1) and tomorrow I have two more scheduled. Next week, I have "only" 3 scheduled.
And, to make life interesting, another school district has contacted me about possible employment. I was not seeking work in another district, but sometimes, these opportunities come up and we need to consider them. In this case, it may not be a hard decision for me to make. I'm not sure they can exceed my current salary, and, the district is located several miles away, resulting in a pretty significant commute. I'm still driving my old gas guzzling Ford Vic, so this may be a no-brainer.
I'm sitting up here in my office, listening to wonderful music coming out of my youngest son's room. After he leaves, it will be very quiet up here. His music will be something I will miss extraordinarily. He's still on track to move to Wisconsin here in a couple of weeks, and I'm feeling okay about it, but...there are times that I will feel his absence, I'm sure. He is planning on playing a concert at our church on May 10, and I get to play with him on 2 or 3 numbers.
I am so blessed to have good relationships with all of my kids. My daughter and I work together at church in the Angel Food Ministries program, and I recently enjoyed a day at the zoo with her. My middle kid stops in frequently (usually around dinner time...) and I like seeing him as often as I do. It's hard to think about one not being around, as close as we are, but, you know-everybody has to fly sometime and it's Daniel's time to do just that.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
One step, then another.
I slept until 9:00 today. Normally, I do not do that. I rolled over, squinted one eye toward the clock (I am blind without glasses), and finally made out through blurry vision that it was 9:05. I couldn't believe it.
Anyway, while the coffee is brewing, I will ruminate (to meditate or muse; ponder). Next week I will be attending an autism conference Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday, we are out of school for "conference release day". That leaves Monday to be at one school and Tuesday to be at the other one. From next week on, I will have 3-4 staffings a week in order to get all the work done that is scheduled. It is a grueling last 5 weeks of school, and I will be putting in a lot of hours each week. I have been working on things at home on the weekends and that will continue.
I am reminded of a lesson brought in our women's Bible study at church-it's one step at a time. I intentionally have to think that way at work. If I looked at all that needed to be done between now and May 24th, I'd freak out. Each day, however, I make a priority list and focus on what needs to be done this day, and sometimes, this minute. If I take all the little steps in the correct order, I should be able to complete the assignments, given enough time. The problem comes in when other things not expected crowd in and plans for the day erupt. I really have no built in grace or leeway, which would allow a sick day, a car malfunction, or a family crisis. Not only that, but my priority list doesn't allow others any grace time either. If I have planned testing sessions with little Johnny next Monday, the ONE day I will be at that school and little Johnny is not there, then...well, then we punt. We reorganize everything and start over.
Speaking of first steps, my youngest is planning on moving out of state in a couple of weeks. He'll be going from his hometown, his family, and his roots to another community Yahoo says is 858 miles away. This is a big step for him and us. I will miss him big time, but he probably needs to do this. He says it's an opportunity he can't pass up, and so, what can we do except wave goodbye and hope for the best for him.
Take one step at a time. It's good advice.
Anyway, while the coffee is brewing, I will ruminate (to meditate or muse; ponder). Next week I will be attending an autism conference Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday, we are out of school for "conference release day". That leaves Monday to be at one school and Tuesday to be at the other one. From next week on, I will have 3-4 staffings a week in order to get all the work done that is scheduled. It is a grueling last 5 weeks of school, and I will be putting in a lot of hours each week. I have been working on things at home on the weekends and that will continue.
I am reminded of a lesson brought in our women's Bible study at church-it's one step at a time. I intentionally have to think that way at work. If I looked at all that needed to be done between now and May 24th, I'd freak out. Each day, however, I make a priority list and focus on what needs to be done this day, and sometimes, this minute. If I take all the little steps in the correct order, I should be able to complete the assignments, given enough time. The problem comes in when other things not expected crowd in and plans for the day erupt. I really have no built in grace or leeway, which would allow a sick day, a car malfunction, or a family crisis. Not only that, but my priority list doesn't allow others any grace time either. If I have planned testing sessions with little Johnny next Monday, the ONE day I will be at that school and little Johnny is not there, then...well, then we punt. We reorganize everything and start over.
Speaking of first steps, my youngest is planning on moving out of state in a couple of weeks. He'll be going from his hometown, his family, and his roots to another community Yahoo says is 858 miles away. This is a big step for him and us. I will miss him big time, but he probably needs to do this. He says it's an opportunity he can't pass up, and so, what can we do except wave goodbye and hope for the best for him.
Take one step at a time. It's good advice.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Working with people is a challenge
We are in the downhill slide to the end of year, which means that there is more work to do at both schools than ever. Some teachers are upset that children they have referred for evaluations have not qualified for services, and other teachers are upset that we have accepted some for evaluation we will not get to this year, and they are on our list for next fall - I've got 8 so far at one school.
Then, the situation I wrote about on April 3 concerning the winner of the power struggle is not good, in that the woman who took matters into her own hands and did not follow the procedure I recommended has gotten us into hot water with the special day school we were working with. I had a visit with that psychologist yesterday, and she and I will be the ones to try to clean up the mess.
I thought about visiting with her, and if she were the kind of person to say, "I see what you mean, I'm sorry that happened...yadda", that would be one thing. But she will never ever say or do that. In the book "Working With You is Killing Me", the author says that one key to moving past something like this is to realize and accept that these people are always going to be this way, and no amount of discussion with them will change that. It's up to me to figure out how to deal with her, knowing what she's capable of. And then, something else occurred when I worked late Wednesday night, which I will not relate here, but it was a confirmation of the fact that those who seem trustworthy, may not always be.
In my last post, I related the story of an irresponsible dog owner, who was appealing a city council decision to put down his pit bull, Mr. Bonz. Mr. Bonz had bitten a young niece so severely on her face that she had to have many stitches and plastic surgery to fix her injury. Update: thankfully, the owner dropped his appeal, and Mr. Bonz was euthanized before the meeting took place.
As we go about our business in this topsy-turvy world we live in, let's reflect on a statement made by Senator Hillary Clinton, introducing her husband Bill Clinton at a rally for gun control legislation: "Part of growing up is learning how to control one's impulses."
Now, THERE'S an example of a guy that knows how to do that. The "maturity" he exhibited in his personal life while he was president of the United States impressed us all. Happy Friday!
Then, the situation I wrote about on April 3 concerning the winner of the power struggle is not good, in that the woman who took matters into her own hands and did not follow the procedure I recommended has gotten us into hot water with the special day school we were working with. I had a visit with that psychologist yesterday, and she and I will be the ones to try to clean up the mess.
I thought about visiting with her, and if she were the kind of person to say, "I see what you mean, I'm sorry that happened...yadda", that would be one thing. But she will never ever say or do that. In the book "Working With You is Killing Me", the author says that one key to moving past something like this is to realize and accept that these people are always going to be this way, and no amount of discussion with them will change that. It's up to me to figure out how to deal with her, knowing what she's capable of. And then, something else occurred when I worked late Wednesday night, which I will not relate here, but it was a confirmation of the fact that those who seem trustworthy, may not always be.
In my last post, I related the story of an irresponsible dog owner, who was appealing a city council decision to put down his pit bull, Mr. Bonz. Mr. Bonz had bitten a young niece so severely on her face that she had to have many stitches and plastic surgery to fix her injury. Update: thankfully, the owner dropped his appeal, and Mr. Bonz was euthanized before the meeting took place.
As we go about our business in this topsy-turvy world we live in, let's reflect on a statement made by Senator Hillary Clinton, introducing her husband Bill Clinton at a rally for gun control legislation: "Part of growing up is learning how to control one's impulses."
Now, THERE'S an example of a guy that knows how to do that. The "maturity" he exhibited in his personal life while he was president of the United States impressed us all. Happy Friday!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Take responsibility
I opened up the newspaper today, and an interesting article caught my eye. Apparently, on Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will decide the fate of a pit bull named "Mr. Bonz", to test the city's new dangerous dog ordinance. Mr. Bonz bit his owner's 5 year old niece on the cheek back in February, requiring 26 stitches and plastic surgery. No one disputes that. However, the mitigating facts in the case are that there were no adults in the room when the attack happened, and, the little girl may have provoked the attack. After the bite occured, the dog was impounded. Animal control officers decided the dog should be euthanized because he had bitten his owner once before on the hand, and because the owner did not have Mr. Bonz licensed or vaccinated. The owner is, of course, appealing that decision, writing in a letter to the council that Mr. Bonz is "a loving, family dog", and that "He has never shown aggression to any human being young or old, to people he knows or strangers that he sees for the first time."
Several years ago, my husband walked in the front door of our house, carrying a small fluffy object in his hands. "Look what the kids found," he said as he handed me a ball of fur. I held out my hands and immediately fell in love with a 4-5 week old puppy, who had been abandoned in a nearby park. We named her Coco, and a subsequent visit to the vet confirmed that she was almost 100 percent red chow, complete with a totally black tongue and that thick fur that chows are known for.
Chows are also known for their sometimes aggressive, territorial behavior. However, we decided to keep her, and my three young children were thrilled. We began the vet visits, the shots, the licensing, the spaying, the dog food buying, and all that which goes along with pet care. As she grew, I would mention to my husband periodically, that at the first snap, growl, baring of teeth, or aggression to our children, and this dog would have to be put down. We continued to watch her carefully, and when my young nieces visited, we supervised them, never leaving them alone with Coco. Even after a year or more and she never ever showed any aggression, still we watched. Our kids grew, and the frequently visiting nieces grew. Coco grew, and became a full grown chow, with a wagging tail and playful disposition. We did, however, see her aggressive side. She became a terror to all the oppossums in the neighborhood. Woe to them if they came in our backyard. With one snap of her jaws, they were gone. And, because of this behavior, we continued to watch and supervise. Every year she had shots and a vet visit, and every time she was around small children, we were there.
Coco lived happily with us for 10 years, never, not one time, ever, showing any aggression to anyone. The man who owns Mr. Bonz spoke words about his dog that are not true, and not only is he not being truthful about his own dog's violent behavior, but he is not a responsible dog owner. He failed to meet even the rudimentary requirements of dog ownership by not obtaining a license and vaccinations for Mr. Bonz. However, these words do describe Coco, and I want to use them here: She was truly a loving, family dog. She never showed any aggression to any human being, young or old. She merely barked at strangers, and always made friends. Our mailman brought her treats every day and she enjoyed a scratch behind the ears as she stood up on the fence. She was a loving, faithful companion.
Several years ago, my husband walked in the front door of our house, carrying a small fluffy object in his hands. "Look what the kids found," he said as he handed me a ball of fur. I held out my hands and immediately fell in love with a 4-5 week old puppy, who had been abandoned in a nearby park. We named her Coco, and a subsequent visit to the vet confirmed that she was almost 100 percent red chow, complete with a totally black tongue and that thick fur that chows are known for.
Chows are also known for their sometimes aggressive, territorial behavior. However, we decided to keep her, and my three young children were thrilled. We began the vet visits, the shots, the licensing, the spaying, the dog food buying, and all that which goes along with pet care. As she grew, I would mention to my husband periodically, that at the first snap, growl, baring of teeth, or aggression to our children, and this dog would have to be put down. We continued to watch her carefully, and when my young nieces visited, we supervised them, never leaving them alone with Coco. Even after a year or more and she never ever showed any aggression, still we watched. Our kids grew, and the frequently visiting nieces grew. Coco grew, and became a full grown chow, with a wagging tail and playful disposition. We did, however, see her aggressive side. She became a terror to all the oppossums in the neighborhood. Woe to them if they came in our backyard. With one snap of her jaws, they were gone. And, because of this behavior, we continued to watch and supervise. Every year she had shots and a vet visit, and every time she was around small children, we were there.
Coco lived happily with us for 10 years, never, not one time, ever, showing any aggression to anyone. The man who owns Mr. Bonz spoke words about his dog that are not true, and not only is he not being truthful about his own dog's violent behavior, but he is not a responsible dog owner. He failed to meet even the rudimentary requirements of dog ownership by not obtaining a license and vaccinations for Mr. Bonz. However, these words do describe Coco, and I want to use them here: She was truly a loving, family dog. She never showed any aggression to any human being, young or old. She merely barked at strangers, and always made friends. Our mailman brought her treats every day and she enjoyed a scratch behind the ears as she stood up on the fence. She was a loving, faithful companion.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Looking ahead
Easter Sunday, twenty-eight years ago today, at 8:30pm, I gave birth to my first child, a daughter-with a smattering of brown hair, blue eyes, and a healthy set of lungs. My life forever changed with the advent of this little girl, who grew up to become a wonderful young woman. We had some rough times during her teen years and early twenties, but she has turned her life around and I am blessed to be her mom.
She has never had her birthday fall on Easter since the day she was born, and it won't be on Easter again until the year 2042. However, April 5 will be Easter Sunday 3 times before April 6, 2042, in 2015, 2026, and 2037-I don't quite understand how this works, but, oh well. Let's see, in 2042 she'll be 62. I'll be 88. I hope I'll be here to help her celebrate her birthday on that momentous occasion, but I also hope I'll be in good enough health to enjoy it. By the time I'm 88, I can't even imagine what things will be like. That's only in 34 years - and it'll go by fast.
She has never had her birthday fall on Easter since the day she was born, and it won't be on Easter again until the year 2042. However, April 5 will be Easter Sunday 3 times before April 6, 2042, in 2015, 2026, and 2037-I don't quite understand how this works, but, oh well. Let's see, in 2042 she'll be 62. I'll be 88. I hope I'll be here to help her celebrate her birthday on that momentous occasion, but I also hope I'll be in good enough health to enjoy it. By the time I'm 88, I can't even imagine what things will be like. That's only in 34 years - and it'll go by fast.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Bad and good news
Leaving the train discussion, it's time to comment about other things. I told someone that this has been the worst work week I've had since school started in the fall. I am in a situation at one school where there's a power struggle, and the "winner" of the power struggle, which wasn't me, managed to go behind my back and set up two meetings to take control of a situation which was my responsibility to take care of.
This person managed to convince 3 people higher on the food chain than either her or I that she could handle the situation and that my input was neither needed, wanted, nor welcomed, and hence, two meetings were held without me and sort of behind my back, during which major decisions regarding a particular student were made. I wonder what is written in the blank beside my name on all of the paperwork where it says, "psychologist". Even as I type this, I can hardly believe that someone was devious enough to do this to not just another person, but to ME, a person who has gotten along with 99% percent of the people I've ever worked with my whole life.
So of course, my reaction is one which rock and rolls from being aghast, to being amused, to being angry, to being hurt. I need to figure out what to do, and to that end, a book I picked up on my recent train trip from a store in Michigan is being helpful. The book only cost me 3.00, it was on clearance, and because it looked like an interesting title, I bought it, never dreaming I would be reading it so soon. The title is, "Working With You Is Killing Me." I'm reading about strategies which can be used to deal with all manner of people that make you crazy in the workplace, and so far, it's been helpful. Right now, the strategy I'm learning about is how to "unhook" from the situation the controlling annoying person tries to put you in.
In other news, this weekend our church is having its annual "women's retreat", a yearly gathering of women, sort of like a big slumber party, but also with a spiritual emphasis. I've been helping to plan these now for 10 years and I always say, about this time, I'm not doing this again!, and then somehow, I always do it again. These retreats have been wonderful, and this one promises to be no exception.
My oldest turns 28 Sunday. She was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1980, and I'll have to blog about her next. She's something else!
This person managed to convince 3 people higher on the food chain than either her or I that she could handle the situation and that my input was neither needed, wanted, nor welcomed, and hence, two meetings were held without me and sort of behind my back, during which major decisions regarding a particular student were made. I wonder what is written in the blank beside my name on all of the paperwork where it says, "psychologist". Even as I type this, I can hardly believe that someone was devious enough to do this to not just another person, but to ME, a person who has gotten along with 99% percent of the people I've ever worked with my whole life.
So of course, my reaction is one which rock and rolls from being aghast, to being amused, to being angry, to being hurt. I need to figure out what to do, and to that end, a book I picked up on my recent train trip from a store in Michigan is being helpful. The book only cost me 3.00, it was on clearance, and because it looked like an interesting title, I bought it, never dreaming I would be reading it so soon. The title is, "Working With You Is Killing Me." I'm reading about strategies which can be used to deal with all manner of people that make you crazy in the workplace, and so far, it's been helpful. Right now, the strategy I'm learning about is how to "unhook" from the situation the controlling annoying person tries to put you in.
In other news, this weekend our church is having its annual "women's retreat", a yearly gathering of women, sort of like a big slumber party, but also with a spiritual emphasis. I've been helping to plan these now for 10 years and I always say, about this time, I'm not doing this again!, and then somehow, I always do it again. These retreats have been wonderful, and this one promises to be no exception.
My oldest turns 28 Sunday. She was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1980, and I'll have to blog about her next. She's something else!
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