Category: Working Mama

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Full Circle

I remember, at different times in school, having a student teacher. Student teachers were always way cooler than any normal classroom teacher. They were typically young, and genuinely seemed to like being around me and my classmates. Some told us fun stories of college (no bedtimes! road trips!), others weren’t quite as chatty, but were still way cooler than any regular classroom teacher. They were student teachers after all!

Way back in 1995, and then again in 1996, I got to be a student teacher myself. It was overwhelming and awesome–and I was genuinely happy to be there ( donuts in the staff lounge! hugs all day long from happy kindergarteners! exciting lesson plans like making a puppet named ROY G. BIV*!)

This week it’s all come full-circle–for the first time I am the supervising teacher to a student teacher. And it is awesome. She’s cheerful and optimistic, and genuinely happy to be in my classroom, and I am happy to have her (coffee break for me! catching up on record keeping! good conversations and insights on particular kids!).

Three cheers for Student Teachers!

** ROY G. BIV was a puppet I used to teach the colors of the rainbow. Go ahead–give it a whirl in the comments and tell me what the letters stand for!

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On to a Three Day Work Week

Jr. seems to have recovered from this wicked virus. Without getting too specific, things are, um, firming up. Thanks for the good vibes! Thankfully, no one else in the house seems afflicted by it. Phew.

So tomorrow shall start my three day work week. Only four more weeks and 23 parent-teacher conferences until Spring Break. And plans are brewing there. Squee!

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NO SCHOOL! NO SCHOOL! And actually real news to share

I know it sounds juvenile, but THERE’S NO SCHOOL TOMORROW! It’s going to be colder than I don’t even know what, so school has been cancelled. Whee! Four day weekend! Four day weekend!

***I am trying not to think of all of the families put in a bind because their kids suddenly don’t have school–juggling work schedules, appointments, etc….if Junior’s daycare suddenly closed on a day I was expecting to go to work, I’d be irked. But for whatever reason, it’s acceptable to do this in a school setting. And since I work for peanuts and seem to catch communicable diseases by the week at my place of employment, I am going to enjoy every minute of my bonus day.

But I will not remember January 15, 2009 as the night I cracked opened the Riesling as I got the text message that school was canceled for the next day.

JANUARY 15, 2009 is Junior’s Adoption Day!! After a nice family lunch with the grandparents, we all headed down to the City-County Building to make it official. MAM did a serious potty dance while we were in line to get through security (funny, unlike so many places, the courthouse is not filled with understanding patrons and staff who would let us through to the potty–we had to wait a loooonnnggg five minutes through the cue). Once we got upstairs though, it was smooth sailing. The judge (different from MAMs hearing) was lovely, our attorney is really nice, and well, it was easy the second time around. We answered some questions, and left with the official decree!