Setback & Highlights

This week was short, but difficult. We surplused a teacher, and my best bud, on Wednesday. She moved to another school who had too many students, because we had too few in our Kindergarten classes. This meant that we also received new students in our classes as her students were divided between the remaining classes. In some ways, it felt like starting over. My students were much closer to tears than they have been in a while, and there is much arguing over seating and other territory-type issues. I still do not have a TA. I was alone on Monday and had a sub. for Tuesday until today. It was great to have another warm body in the room when I had to chase my challenge child around the room or down the hall, but otherwise, it seems like she created more problems than she solved. She worked hard though, and did her best, and for that I am thankful. Next week, I should be getting my friend's TA as a permanent helper. However, she has been absent a lot with illness and I am wondering how this will work out. Hopefully, she will be fully recovered and ready to go by Monday. I'm looking forward to establishing a routine with someone.

Other highlights of this week and last include the Kindergarten Olympics where my friend's class and my class "competed" in an obstacle course to practice using position words such as over, under, top, middle, bottom, above & below. This week, we had three community helpers come to our classes - a doctor, a police officer (female), and a bank representative. The latter was a young man who had attended our school as a boy. That was cool! Next week, we will write our Thank You letters.

Finally, to end the day, I opened the boys' bathroom to find a huge puddle of water which had begun to run over into the classroom next door. There was no sign of where the water was coming from, so the custodian wetvacced the water and all seems to be well. Tomorrow is Professional Development Waiver Day - many meetings and no students. I'm hoping to retool, refocus, and re-energize. Also, I found Psalm 35:1-10, perfect!