Its Been Forever...

Gosh, I haven't blogged in ages, but my excuse will be that if its not one thing, its another. I feel like blogging is so great, because I record cool things that happen in my daily life and then will have the opportunity to go back and read about them, but at the end of the day, after a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write about what happened.

So much has happened in the last month! I got really sick, had to go to a hearing to fight for my job, I tried to buy a house, reality sank in that I will be paying full rent by myself, and a co-worker and friend was tragically killed in an accident are just to name a few.

My students have been driving me up the wall for the last month. This last week seemed to go a lot better. It all started when I took a day off to go observe other first grade classes. BTSA (a school-payed class I had to take for two years) paid for me to go, and its important that I do that, but I didn't want to leave my babies all by themselves. For one, I just don't like to do that, and for two-I know they would turn into monsters once I stepped foot outside the classroom. I have to have them on such a tight leash that any loosening and the kids will go nuts!

The students turning into monsters is exactly what happened. My sub who was an ex-cop and an ex-teacher told me my class was the worst class he had EVER subbed for in his life. Woah! That makes me feel proud!

Now here I am...scared to take another day off. The following week though I had to take two days off to attend the hearing to fight for my job. It was very important I was there, so I asked my friend Eliza to sub. She did a better job, but it sounds like they wrote sentences and sat in time out the majority of the day. At least it was a safe environment for the kids.

I won't find anything out with my job until next week, but I have a feeling I will be getting the really, for real, the district isn't fooling around lay-off notice next week. Then I'll get another one in July that says: please come back, we layed off too many teachers and would be in big trouble if you don't come back.

So if that happens, I can get unemployment for two months during the summer. Sweet. Is that wrong? I really don't know. I know as Christians we should be self-sufficient and not need the support of the gov't, but what if I don't need it, but would love the extra cash. Is it wrong to take it anyway? HHmmm.

This last week I've been mourning the loss of a friend and fellow 4th grade teacher named Angel Arrellano. She was driving down south and was in a horrid accident and was killed instantly. My school community has been dealing with this, and helping the students to deal with the loss of a teacher. My school's students come from rough homes and for many of them-school is their constant in their life. I would go as far to say too that some teachers are the students' 'mothers' as the moms at home are not really present or involved in any way. The 4th grade class was a SPED (special ed) class. Not physical disabilities but the students are slower, and a lower level accademically then the rest of the students. These kids are already more troubled, and then to lose their teacher----it has been hard.

More on that later.

Right now I need to load up my car for my drive down to SLO to visit my grandma, Mommers, and celebrate Mother's Day and her Birthday! Woo!