In the Thick of It

School officially started this week, and I have begun my new position! I walk around ALL day with a clip board and record behavior information about the students I am assigned to, work with the kids on redirection so that they can be in the mainstream classroom, and plan social skills and behavior lessons. It is A LOT of data collection, and a lot of exercise -- definitely need to get a pedometer! Luckily I have the greatest paraprofessional that works with me -- Miss Claudia, and she helps me out with everything. She is so sweet, and so willing to help with anything!


I am loving this school year so far, am just totally exhausted at day's end! My house is totally out.of.control. and is in desperate need of a thorough cleaning, like right now. I had been getting better at being an every night 20 minute cleaner, but, I am slipping into the weekend 2 hour mega cleaning. This is not a good thing, and surely Tate is not a fan of the to-do list that is ever-growing on our fridge.

On another note -- Tate and I went to the Giants vs. Astros game here in Houston on Saturday night. Sadly, the Giants lost (boo) but, they did mount a comeback, and went on to win on Sunday (yay, Giants!!) We had a great time, and a fun little date night supporting my "hometown(just down the road)" team. Plus, we got to wear our Giants shirts that I got the last time I was in CA. We sat about 4 rows behind the Giants dugout, so we had great seats -- thanks to my wonderful aunt Krissy who wanted us to have a little date night before I went back to school.

Anyway, I suppose I will do a quick clean-up before Tate gets home, take the dog out, and get ready for tonight's episode of Pretty Little Liars -- yes, I am almost 27 years old and ob-sessed, thank you very much.

Today's funny:
I got a text from one of my co-workers "You are a newlywed -- do you have STD"...I was like, what.the.heck. #1 No, no STDs, #2 What are you asking me this for?! So, naturally, I responded with the universal "WTF?!?!" A few seconds later she called me laughing hysterically -- she was asking about short-term disability (ie. maternity leave insurance, basically)-- definitely not a sexually transmitted disease!

**Also, I have some serious separation anxiety in reference to my old blog, so, if you know a blog designer who is relatively inexpensive and wont take 6 weeks to design my blog, please let me know!**

Seashell

We received this at our staff development today -- thought it was too good to not share!

You are probably wondering why the picture of the seashell. It is a gift to you to help you reflect on another gift you are about to receive - your students. Let's take a few minutes to consider what the shell can tell us about them.

Maybe your shell is fragile, delicate, and easily broken. So are your students. Handle them kindly and with care.

Maybe your shell look beautiful. Each student in your class has a special beauty. Discover it and help others to notice it and appreciate it.

Maybe your shell is hard. Remember that the shell has a cover to protect a sea creature. Sometimes our students build a hard shell to protect themselves from harm. Open the hard out shell to nurture the life within.

Maybe you noticed that your shell has pieces chopped away or broken off. Some students have had difficult experiences that have chipped away their positive self-image and broken their spirit. Help to rebuild their self-image and rekindle their enthusiasm.

Maybe you noticed that the shell was once very tiny and seemed to be built up one layer at a time. Your students are like that. Each one has a small core of knowledge and experience. Some will have many layers built around this core. Others have only a few. Take your students as they are and add carefully to their growth.

Maybe your shell looks plain and rather commonplace. Sometimes you may feel that there is nothing special about a student. Look again. You will see that each student is unique, just as each shell in unique. Help each student to realize his or her importance or worth.

The shell you have in your hand is unique. It was carried to shore by the ocean just for you. What will you do with it now that it is yours? Each student in your class is unique, too. Each one is in your hands now. What will you do with your students now that they are yours?
 
anonymous

What I Learned This Summer

I learned this summer that marriage is infinitely harder more enjoyable than I could have ever imagined. It's a constant process to learn how to communicate with one another, and to be a better partner to one another -- and that says a lot, given we dated for over 5 years prior to our wedding. You gain new perspective into what you need to worry about, and what you need not worry about, what you are willing to fight for, and which things you aren't. It's a really strange thing, this being married business. There are hard days, there are long days, but, there are also great days, and days you wish could go on forever.

Professionally, I also experienced a lot of growth this summer, attending over 100 hours of development sessions, and I got a new title -- I am now a PASS teacher, or behavioral specialist, whichever you prefer! I am really excited about my new position, I think it's going to be challenging, yet rewarding, and will be a totally new experience. I am also so thankful for my administration team, and all of the teachers I work with -- this year looks to be really great! Also, in addition to volleyball and basketball, I'll also be coaching soccer, so, while I'll be seriously busy, I think it will be a lot of fun to get to coach my favorite sport! I'm in the midst of putting together my office/classroom, but will post pictures whenever I get done with everthing...

Some inspiration for my room -- clearly I can't incorporate all of these elements at school, but, you'll definitely be able to see touches of these spaces and images...

Anyway, look forward to more frequent posts on this blog -- and a new layout pretty soon...just had to do a quickie design by myself to get this thing up and running. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

xoxo Amy