New year, new adventures

Beth says that I will quickly make the word "adventure" synonymous with something akin to "catastrophe" but I can't help it. Life is an adventure, and the life of a Sped teacher is just too action-packed to be called anything else!

So, the new school year has begun. My assistant (and student teacher,) Mark, took the suddenly-open position of the ERR teacher in our severe/profound room. The teacher there (my replacement when I moved to WA, for those of you who follow my meanderings) took a job at an elementary school, and we all wish her the best. I think Mark will be an excellent replacement, and we already know we work well together. We both look forward to a program that is fluid, with lots of support and interaction between the kiddos.

I sent 8 of my cherubs to the high school last year, so my program is pretty depleted. Please, don't share this with the Powers That Be, but there are only 13 kids on my caseload at the moment!! I am, of course, providing services for some of Mark's kids (and he for some of mine) as well as some kids from the E/BD program, but it is a very light year, so far. (Knocks fervently on the nearest wooden bookshelf!)

I really like my schedule and my classroom, too. The room is probably the most open and functional I have ever had. There aren't too many congested areas, and it's clean. Again, so far. =)

This school year has come with a marked change for me--I am suddenly very organized! Several times, Beth (aka my brain) has reminded me to do something, only to find that I've already done it. I have taken attendance on time, kept up with faxes to independent service companies who pester me with requests for IEP's and eligibilities non-stop, called or emailed parents with updates, questions and schedule changes, helped Mark with some paperwork, and kept my desk fairly clean! I think this must be a symptom of my very calm outlook toward the year. It must be SOMETHING like that, right? Again...so far.

Other highlights--more students, teachers and parents have asked Beth and I if we are twins than have ever done so before. We are amused, and reckon we must be channelling some residual Weasley twin energy since our trip to Orlando.

Also, what about the open aide position (Mark's job) you ask? We did some interviews during the first week on duty, and settled on a woman who has lots of experience with kids, and a very open and positive attitude. She starts on Tuesday, and was so excited when we gave her the job that she almost cried, and swept both Beth and I into great hugs. I am hopeful, but more than that, ecstatic to be done with the sub we endured for the first week! (Some horrors cannot be described.)

So, keywords for the year so far: organized, promising, light, and as always, an adventure!