3 Months and Counting

Ladies and Gentlemen.... exactly three months from today, this lady will be one happy camper!! Not as happy as I will be in August (when Jay comes for R&R), but this is the first step. I will have my days free, my evenings free, a few hours on the weekend free, and I will be STRESS FREE!!! Have you figured it out yet? Exactly three months from today leads us to Saturday, June 19th. What is so special about that day? That is my first day as an unemployed teacher at Schweinfurt Elementary School! This will be a very exciting day for me. This school year has given me a run for my money. I have had to deal with discipline problem after discipline problem. Examples... let's see.... a suicide ideation, being assaulted by a child, having one of my students accepted into the psych ward, chasing a student through the school and wrestling him to the ground, and a suicide attempt in my class room. That should give you the picture. I could keep going, but I don't want to scare any potential teachers. I'm thankful this isn't my first year of teaching. Otherwise I think I would have been scared out of the profession by now. I have been told by most teachers in the school that this isn't normal. I would surely hope not!!! I just happened to get the right compilation of students that are oil and water! Even though it's been a challenge, I feel very prepared for any future incidents! I feel that I can work through them without stressing out (too much) and calmly find a solution. So on Saturday, June 18th, I will be sleeping in until the sun wakes me up, I will go outside for a jog, enjoy a big breakfast, go on a bike ride, and enjoy an evening with friends!! Nothing stressful, nothing timely, just a simple day on my own schedule!!! Yes... I'm dreaming about this day! I can't wait!

On a similar note, this week in my classroom has been quite wonderful. My troublesome student has been kicked out of my room. He is now coming to school only two hours a day and will not be around any other student. He is just too dangerous!! The principal said she will definitely not put him back into my classroom. We have had quite a peaceful week because no one is scared of what may happen, including myself!!! And to add to my joy, I am loosing another child in three weeks! I like to call this child my monkey. He CANNOT sit down! He isn't too much of a vocal disturbance, but he has become quite an acrobat with his chair. At any given time throughout the day, you will find him balancing himself across his desk and chair, laying on the floor with his chair above his head, or entangled throughout the legs of his chair. I find it quite amusing! The rest of the kids have learned to ignore it, which is a really good thing. The crazy part about all of this, the kid is COMPLETELY focused. As he is laying on the ground and using his chair as an airplane, he can still answer any question I ask him. He never fails to amaze me. Nonetheless, he is still rather difficult. But, he's moving back to the states for the rest of the school year, so I'll be losing him! Tears... of joy!!

(Don't I sound so mean!!! You would think I hated my class. They aren't all that bad. Just a few... but those few are REALLY bad!)

This week, the kids had to take the Terra Nova tests. It is a big standardized test that the students must take every year. We tested two hours each day this week. To help them out, I didn't give any homework for them to do at night. After testing each day, we did some fun things instead of the usual curriculum. I taught the students tinikling, a folk dance from the Philippines. They learned to love it real quick. They were a bit apprehensive at first, but once they got the hang of it, I couldn't get them to stop. I enjoyed it as much as they did. I remember learning it back in elementary school with Mr. Raub. I loved it then and I still love it now! It was a great way to relieve stress the kids had and to get them to relax!

Time for me to enjoy my weekend now!! I get to spend it with five boys, at least until Saturday night. On Sunday, I am going to a tractor party!! I am really excited about this because it will remind me so much of Iowa! I'll be sure and post pictures on Sunday!