What did I do?

You know that totally overwhelmed feeling that you get when you think maybe, just maybe, you have bitten off more than you can chew?  Yeah, I have that.  I know that with some handy list making and taking things one step at a time, it will all be better than ok.  But, that doesn't stop me from having school dreams (much like nightmares except the fear is replaced with anxiety and the cemetery is replaced with the classroom).  Let me explain...

Yesterday, along with getting ready for vacay, I moved my stuff from my old building to my new one.  While I was there, I checked out the contents of my classroom (which is in the old FACS room).  There were a bazillion cabinets of random.  Things like an adding machine (who still uses that, btw?) and Playdough in the same drawer.  So, I took an informal assessment of what was actually in that room and wow.  Just wow.

Then, I sat down to read the files for each student.  I made some notes of things to ask the coordinator and my new mentor about.  I have to say some of the things in the anecdotal records made me laugh (which reassured me that I had made the right choice because there aren't many people who find the logic of a spectrum student funny).

So here's to a summer of getting ready for a new adventure (or getting pushed off the dock in order to learn how to swim).  It will be awesome.

Sir Elton John...

I beg to differ.  Sorry does not seem to be the hardest word, because for me it is definitely good-bye.  As most of you know, I am making a move to another building where I will be working in the Sped department (no I haven't taken the Praxis, yet.  Thanks for asking because I am definitely not obsessing about it already).  Today was my last contract day in my building (although, I still need to move my things across town).  I have been a teacher there off and on since 2005.  It is the best building in our district (known fact, not just an opinion).  There are a lot of reasons why it is the best.  The students and their families are great, our administrator is wonderful, and the faculty/staff is phenomenal.  There is not one single person who would let a colleague go through a struggle alone.  We even have a para who bakes a cake for every single person's birthday, and puts it on the lounge table.  The climate and culture are both positive and caring.  So today, after my friends all came back from their meeting (mine was yesterday), we went to the patio at the Mexican restaurant for "high tea".  I had mostly kept leaving out of my heart and in my head, until we started to get up and leave.  Then, the floodgates opened.  I will truly miss being with my friends every day.  I will still get to see them every now and then (not even Sped escapes data analysis meetings), but it won't be the same. 

So, to all my friends.  Thank you for being so wonderful to work with.  It has been my privilege.