So the last post was just a quick catch up. I have a bit more time on my hands than originally thought, so I can go into a bit more detail about my thought process about life.
The big thing I have had to process is this change to 3rd grade. I have never truly gotten a real answer from any of the administration, but my principal did ask me to consider taking over the 3rd Grade Leadership position. I considered it, and decided that it would be worth it. The con is that I am leading, and making decisions for a grade/team I am unfamiliar with, but the pro is it will give me a lot of experience, and look good on a resume. I talked with the 3rd grade team and they all agreed that I would make a good leader, and wham bam....another change...I am now one of the leaders in the school.
This month left me with little time to sit and think about the change, and how it went down. I am still upset at how it went down, and that I had no say in any of it. But like my wonderful military husband says "what is..is". Apparently there is nothing that I can do but have an attitude change.
The hardest part of it all was packing up my room, and having to hand over all of my fifth grade stuff to what is the new 5th grade team. There were many moments where our team was busy doing 5th grade things, and we all looked at each other and pointed out it was the last time we would be doing that together. I was so lucky to have been placed on that team, and friendships I have made will impact me through life. It is one of those moments where you think God put me in that place for a reason, and he must be moving me for some reason too.
So, all in all, I am still not happy about it, but my room is packed, I have all my boxes in my new classroom, I am purchasing new 3rd grade items, and I have packed up all of my 5th grade binders.
My attitude is now "what is...is...."
Saturday, May 29, 2010
I know...I am sorry
So seriously it has been almost a month of nothing on here. I will do a quick update, as seriously a bit has been going on.
I traveled up North to MI for three days at the beginning of May. It was a two-fold trip as Tulip Time was that Saturday and Duane turned 50 on Mother's Day. It was a quick trip there, and back. See pics!
The second weekend Mom and Duane came to the ATL to hang until the following Wed. We always get so much done with Duane around. He is just such the handy man that we got a lot of things fixed, and done that Jacob and I would have hired other people to do. But the cool thing about Duane is that he shows you how to do things, so Jacob and I can do these things again. We got screens fixed, the front door fixed, new blinds in the living room, and the biggest thing was we got our microwave rearranged above the stove. It looks amazing!
Then the following weekend I took a personal for Friday and Jacob and I went to Chicago. Shane and Diana are now doctors, and our friend Stacy is married! It was another whirl-wind weekend. See pics!
At that point my body took a shut down mode. Lost my voice, wanted to sleep all the time, stuffed face, sinus pressure...the works. It was a hard week to get through.
Then my kids graduated on the 25th, and Jacob was the schools photographer. I was so proud of my 24 babies! We got preliminary test scores back and they looked great. I am so proud of them. So great that it looked like 97% of our kids passed! YAY!
Now we are here. It is my first official day of summer break. Although I will not be lucky enough to really get a break. I will have to go in to "intern" under my principal for over 100 hours. I hope to get the hours done as soon as possible.
I am finally starting to feel a little better. I am still going to bed about 5 or 6 p.m. and sleeping all night until my alarm goes off. I am hoping to get on the bike or in the pool today. My first tri of the year is June 26...less than a month. YIKES!
I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. Please remember those who gave their time, and some their lives for our freedom. I am so proud of my soldier, and the many who I have met along our 8 year journey through the military.
I traveled up North to MI for three days at the beginning of May. It was a two-fold trip as Tulip Time was that Saturday and Duane turned 50 on Mother's Day. It was a quick trip there, and back. See pics!
The second weekend Mom and Duane came to the ATL to hang until the following Wed. We always get so much done with Duane around. He is just such the handy man that we got a lot of things fixed, and done that Jacob and I would have hired other people to do. But the cool thing about Duane is that he shows you how to do things, so Jacob and I can do these things again. We got screens fixed, the front door fixed, new blinds in the living room, and the biggest thing was we got our microwave rearranged above the stove. It looks amazing!
Then the following weekend I took a personal for Friday and Jacob and I went to Chicago. Shane and Diana are now doctors, and our friend Stacy is married! It was another whirl-wind weekend. See pics!
At that point my body took a shut down mode. Lost my voice, wanted to sleep all the time, stuffed face, sinus pressure...the works. It was a hard week to get through.
Then my kids graduated on the 25th, and Jacob was the schools photographer. I was so proud of my 24 babies! We got preliminary test scores back and they looked great. I am so proud of them. So great that it looked like 97% of our kids passed! YAY!
Now we are here. It is my first official day of summer break. Although I will not be lucky enough to really get a break. I will have to go in to "intern" under my principal for over 100 hours. I hope to get the hours done as soon as possible.
I am finally starting to feel a little better. I am still going to bed about 5 or 6 p.m. and sleeping all night until my alarm goes off. I am hoping to get on the bike or in the pool today. My first tri of the year is June 26...less than a month. YIKES!
I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. Please remember those who gave their time, and some their lives for our freedom. I am so proud of my soldier, and the many who I have met along our 8 year journey through the military.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wham Bam........WHAT??!!
Let me take you back to Thursday morning 8:30 a.m. Jacob is in for his annual Iraq presentation and I am clicking to the next slide on the powerpoint. The kids are loving it and have been looking forward to this presentation all week. In walks my assistant principal. She walks all the way around the room to where I am, and holds out a white sheet of paper. She walks back across the room and out the door. Not thinking much about it I look at the paper. It has Amanda L. written on it, in my principals handwriting. I am still unstapeling the letter when in walks two of my 5th grade team members and ask "Where are you going?" Say WHAT?! HOLD ON!
That is right. In the letter it stated that I would be moved to 3rd grade for next year. It was signed by my principal. Did I mention that my principal had left for Chicago the night before? He won't be back until Monday. This came out of left field. I was in SHOCK. And there I stood in front of 24 little angels. I couldn't think, couldn't process, couldn't.... anything. I left Jacob to fend for himself with the presentation and went into the hallway, where the rest of my team had huddled. Tears welled in my eyes as I began to realize what the letter stated. WOW! I had not been warned, I had not been asked. I had no idea why I was being moved...
This feeling went on all day. The lower level was given their letters first, and then the second level. We could hear all the teachers upstairs doing the same thing we had done. The school was in shock. I was in shock.....
It has been almost a full four days, and I feel like I am still processing. I have questions as to why I was moved and not others, why anyone from the 5th grade team at all? There is no one to ask questions of. One of the administrators caught me in the hallway and said she had heard I was upset...upset? I just looked at her, and asked "Wouldn't you have been?" Handed a letter, Thursday morning, none the less, in front of my entire class. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And to top it all off, the principal is on a vacation for the next two days?!
I believe that God has a plan. But seriously this year was not a great year to change grade levels. Not to mention I have NOTHING related to 3rd grade, so I am starting a brand new classroom again, and I am finishing my masters this fall. Not prime time to learn a whole new curriculum. I am struggling with the fact that I should be ecstatic as I have a job, and yet I feel like my administrators made a decision which I had no choice in. I had no meeting with them, I had never communicated I was interested in changing grade levels, I had never expressed unhappiness.
Again, it is four days later, and what is, is. There is nothing I can do from this point. I will begin to pack my room up, and get it ready to move (again). I will have to work hard to familiarize myself with what third graders need to be taught, and then be the best 3rd grade teacher EVER! Of course parents found out quickly and many parents have expressed their feelings about this move. I feel well supported by parents, colleagues, and students, but not by administration.
I hope in the next few weeks to get some settled answers, or at least become at peace with this situation. I must put on my big girl panties and finish up this year, and get ready for the next. There will just be a lot more steps to get through from May to Aug this year. A LOT MORE STEPS.....
That is right. In the letter it stated that I would be moved to 3rd grade for next year. It was signed by my principal. Did I mention that my principal had left for Chicago the night before? He won't be back until Monday. This came out of left field. I was in SHOCK. And there I stood in front of 24 little angels. I couldn't think, couldn't process, couldn't.... anything. I left Jacob to fend for himself with the presentation and went into the hallway, where the rest of my team had huddled. Tears welled in my eyes as I began to realize what the letter stated. WOW! I had not been warned, I had not been asked. I had no idea why I was being moved...
This feeling went on all day. The lower level was given their letters first, and then the second level. We could hear all the teachers upstairs doing the same thing we had done. The school was in shock. I was in shock.....
It has been almost a full four days, and I feel like I am still processing. I have questions as to why I was moved and not others, why anyone from the 5th grade team at all? There is no one to ask questions of. One of the administrators caught me in the hallway and said she had heard I was upset...upset? I just looked at her, and asked "Wouldn't you have been?" Handed a letter, Thursday morning, none the less, in front of my entire class. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And to top it all off, the principal is on a vacation for the next two days?!
I believe that God has a plan. But seriously this year was not a great year to change grade levels. Not to mention I have NOTHING related to 3rd grade, so I am starting a brand new classroom again, and I am finishing my masters this fall. Not prime time to learn a whole new curriculum. I am struggling with the fact that I should be ecstatic as I have a job, and yet I feel like my administrators made a decision which I had no choice in. I had no meeting with them, I had never communicated I was interested in changing grade levels, I had never expressed unhappiness.
Again, it is four days later, and what is, is. There is nothing I can do from this point. I will begin to pack my room up, and get it ready to move (again). I will have to work hard to familiarize myself with what third graders need to be taught, and then be the best 3rd grade teacher EVER! Of course parents found out quickly and many parents have expressed their feelings about this move. I feel well supported by parents, colleagues, and students, but not by administration.
I hope in the next few weeks to get some settled answers, or at least become at peace with this situation. I must put on my big girl panties and finish up this year, and get ready for the next. There will just be a lot more steps to get through from May to Aug this year. A LOT MORE STEPS.....
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