It’s been so long since I’ve had time for OD

that I almost couldn’t remember my password!!

It has been an exhausting 7 weeks, but the woman I replaced is back on Monday and I am leaving feeling like I didn’t do too badly. There were definitely some rough days, days I’d come home in tears, days I wished I’d never said yes to this desperate woman needing a substitute. All in all though, it worked out as I thought it would, the last 2 weeks being pretty much a skate in the park as far as stress goes anyway.

There were frustrations galore, like my teacher’s assistant intern. This girl is a senior and also a student in my first class and the first week I was there, she was absolutely invaluable! By the second week however, I was uncomfortable with the way she took over the class and made me feel like I just needed to go sit down and stop getting in her way! She was territorial about the grading also which bothered me since I had no idea how any of the kids were doing in class. The way she took over kept me from getting to know the kids too and I didn’t like that either…but I didn’t want to offend or step on any toes.

That is until she got overwhelmed with the job, started complaining to the kids that sat near her desk in the back and I got blindsided by a pompous little shit who told me that my TA was earning my money for me! And just to rub salt in the wound, when I came back from taking a break while the teacher next door watched the class for me (I was almost in tears…I refused to cry in front of them though) this little shit TA was spilling all her frustrations to the other teacher in front of the entire class! God forbid she’d come to ME with any of that, NOOOOO…stand up in front of everyone and tell someone else that can’t help!

That girl was gone the next day! She never again spent another class being my TA and when I took over the grading, I began to realize she either didn’t know what she was doing or she was giving breaks to her friends. I had no problem offending her when I let the department head know this! So my attitude with this class the next day was I’m pissed off so sit down and shut up. They asked where the TA was since it was obvious she was gone and I looked the kid straight in the eye and said I didn’t know, where’s your homework?

It all worked out though and yesterday the kids in that class surprised me with a poster thanking me and saying good-bye. Some of the comments that made me smile:

Thanks for surviving the chaos!
Thanks for putting up with our nonsense!
You’re a real teacher!

And my favorite: "You’re a strong woman!" Yes I was! They survived and so did I amazingly enough! LOL!

The poster was filled with good-byes and thank yous and we’ll miss yous and it was wonderful to have the momento to laminate (which I did before I left! LOL!) but what it meant to me was that they got it. They figured out I was doing the very best I could for them and they were telling me they appreciated it despite knowing they gave me a hard time. And I appreciated them telling me that. So despite the frustrations and tears and yes, there was laughter too since these kids definitely had entertainment value, I have signed on for yet another long term job starting in March. Until then I’ll just take jobs on a one day basis.

Oh, and lest any of you think I am strong on my own, I’m NOT! LOL! If it weren’t for my husband talking me in off the ledge on a daily basis, giving me advice, helping me figure out how to get these kids to do some work and listening patiently to my constant tirades, and once or twice even telling me off, I would not have survived…and neither would the students! LOL!

So today is going to be busy.  Alysia and Al coming in for early Christmas since they will not be here this year and I’ve still got cleaning and cooking to do so unfortunately I can’t go cruising through my favorites and catch up. But let me say I have missed all of you!! Hugs all around and I hope I can get back in here soon!