I have worked with Special Education students in some way for over 30 years! That sounded really nuts the first time I said it out loud in a meeting this year.
I started showing an interest in my chosen field when I was IN middle school, and now I have spent almost 10 years teaching middle school special education. Even before entering the classroom as a teacher I was working with a similar group in a different setting.
After lots of soul searching and considering how to best move my career forward, I have made a monumental decision. I am leaving the special education classroom behind. At least for a while.
I have decided that I want to teach Social Studies or Language Arts classes on our 6th grade team next year. Because The Oldest and Youngest will both be at the High School next door, I have no interest in leaving my campus. I've been on staff here since 2010. Still, it is time for me to grow into a new role as a teacher.
Last week I was starting to change my mind. Even if my current job is crazy some days, there is comfort in knowing my role. Next year I'll be jumping into the classroom as a new teacher in a new subject. In a lot of ways, it will be like starting over.
I am looking forward to giving up a lot of the detailed paperwork that my current job requires. I won't be fooled into thinking there will be none in my new position, but it will be different paperwork.
Showing posts with label Playing Nice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Playing Nice. Show all posts
Monday, April 2, 2018
Sunday, February 19, 2017
It's been a long time
I haven't felt the need to write or post in a long while. Earlier this month I made several attempts at putting up a blog post here but it just didn't happen thanks to lots of busyness and a full schedule of work and kids.
Somehow, in all of the chaos and clutter of the last year, Miss GG has hung in there with me. It has been a year of learning and growing. Dating at 46 years old is not easy. Not that I was very good at it at 23 years old. This time around though I have a lot better credit cards and we seem to frequent much better restaurants.
Our first date was spontaneous and fun and exciting and it scared the hell out of me. I had been out on a few first dates and a couple of second dates (and one really miserable third date) before I met up with Miss GG. That night, in the process of getting to know something about each other, I stumbled and stammered through the dad/teacher/newly single stuff. At some point, though I really, REALLY planned not to, the conversation rolled around to the ex. After I spent way too much time trying to explain away my then contentious relationship with the mother of my children, I knew I had blown it. Nobody wants to listen some nervous man-child stammer on about his recent past busted relationship.
As I sheepishly apologized for monopolizing the conversation AND my poor choice of topic, Miss GG said something. I wish I had taken out a notepad and written it down, especially since that couldn't have possibly made the date any more awkward at that point. Essentially she said 'These relationships have made us the people we are'. It was simple and profound. I still feel like I have caught lightning in a Dr Pepper bottle. Miss GG is good to me and good for me. I'm sure trying to do the same for her.
Still, it IS hard to grow into a new relationship after so many years in one. Like a bonehead, I treated Valentine's Day like the non-event it was with the ex. She disliked the day with probably too much energy. Turns out that Miss GG feels NOT AT ALL the same way. That, my friends, is a good thing to know and you can bet I've already got a better system of reminding myself of that fact for next year.
Miss GG, it's been a heck of a fun year. Thanks for choosing to spend it with me.
Somehow, in all of the chaos and clutter of the last year, Miss GG has hung in there with me. It has been a year of learning and growing. Dating at 46 years old is not easy. Not that I was very good at it at 23 years old. This time around though I have a lot better credit cards and we seem to frequent much better restaurants.
Our first date was spontaneous and fun and exciting and it scared the hell out of me. I had been out on a few first dates and a couple of second dates (and one really miserable third date) before I met up with Miss GG. That night, in the process of getting to know something about each other, I stumbled and stammered through the dad/teacher/newly single stuff. At some point, though I really, REALLY planned not to, the conversation rolled around to the ex. After I spent way too much time trying to explain away my then contentious relationship with the mother of my children, I knew I had blown it. Nobody wants to listen some nervous man-child stammer on about his recent past busted relationship.
As I sheepishly apologized for monopolizing the conversation AND my poor choice of topic, Miss GG said something. I wish I had taken out a notepad and written it down, especially since that couldn't have possibly made the date any more awkward at that point. Essentially she said 'These relationships have made us the people we are'. It was simple and profound. I still feel like I have caught lightning in a Dr Pepper bottle. Miss GG is good to me and good for me. I'm sure trying to do the same for her.
Still, it IS hard to grow into a new relationship after so many years in one. Like a bonehead, I treated Valentine's Day like the non-event it was with the ex. She disliked the day with probably too much energy. Turns out that Miss GG feels NOT AT ALL the same way. That, my friends, is a good thing to know and you can bet I've already got a better system of reminding myself of that fact for next year.
Miss GG, it's been a heck of a fun year. Thanks for choosing to spend it with me.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Photo365 - Day 2
An ongoing series, photo-journaling my year 2016.
My current mantle pieces. January 2016
Around here, a classical sail boat, or fancy antique clock would just not work as the focal point on our mantle. Instead, we have a flock of tin chickens. As I have settled into my new life as a single dad, it has been interesting to see how things have been divided up and what things were left behind.
These chickens, and a few others were all given to me by my former mother-in-law. Keeping them displayed seems to keep a tie to the former life, which is important for the kids.
These chickens, and a few others were all given to me by my former mother-in-law. Keeping them displayed seems to keep a tie to the former life, which is important for the kids.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Another one last time
Divorce is exactly opposite of the joy and great fun of a wedding celebration. It's a cold and unfeeling process. My lawyer warned me about this idea early on.
Part of the process I wish would end quickly, the endings.
It seems that I often need to do some thing one last time to move this divorce to a new, further state of completion. Today it was one last time to deal with the collected seasonal decorations and ornaments for a Christmas tree I evidently lost somewhere between the house being cleaned out and a judge's gavel. I was really interested to see and keep the ornaments and decorations the kids made when they were preschoolers. When it came time to start dividing up the collection, those are the things I chose.
Last week I bought a new artificial tree for our little house. One huge benefit of the past 6 months, our house is relatively uncluttered now. Imagine your living room. Now imagine someone removing half of your junk. Voila!
The tree I bought is about two or three feet shorter than it's predecessor and it fits in a spot that the larger never would. This new tree also fits with the uncluttered feel of this new life, but that may be due to the small number of ornaments the kids used to decorate the new tree. As quickly as I got home, I added the recollected treasures to our little tree. This is now the perfect Christmas Tree!
Still, it is sad to see a bunch of things that we collected together over half a life time strewn across a garage floor, waiting to be picked, one ornament at a time. It was like choosing up teams for the worst after school basketball game ever.
Really though, it was just one more last time to remind me of the way things once were and how they won't be again. Not even after the last, last time.This should be the last of the shared "stuff" to deal with. We still have to deal with 25 years of photographs and videos, but that is another issue, for another last time. Maybe that will be the end of it, too.
Part of the process I wish would end quickly, the endings.
It seems that I often need to do some thing one last time to move this divorce to a new, further state of completion. Today it was one last time to deal with the collected seasonal decorations and ornaments for a Christmas tree I evidently lost somewhere between the house being cleaned out and a judge's gavel. I was really interested to see and keep the ornaments and decorations the kids made when they were preschoolers. When it came time to start dividing up the collection, those are the things I chose.
Last week I bought a new artificial tree for our little house. One huge benefit of the past 6 months, our house is relatively uncluttered now. Imagine your living room. Now imagine someone removing half of your junk. Voila!
The tree I bought is about two or three feet shorter than it's predecessor and it fits in a spot that the larger never would. This new tree also fits with the uncluttered feel of this new life, but that may be due to the small number of ornaments the kids used to decorate the new tree. As quickly as I got home, I added the recollected treasures to our little tree. This is now the perfect Christmas Tree!
Still, it is sad to see a bunch of things that we collected together over half a life time strewn across a garage floor, waiting to be picked, one ornament at a time. It was like choosing up teams for the worst after school basketball game ever.
Really though, it was just one more last time to remind me of the way things once were and how they won't be again. Not even after the last, last time.This should be the last of the shared "stuff" to deal with. We still have to deal with 25 years of photographs and videos, but that is another issue, for another last time. Maybe that will be the end of it, too.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Nice and public
Just need to be direct for a minute. Please know that this blog is not locked down and no one is blocked from seeing the content posted here. That helps keep things on point and polite at the same time.
I will moderate comments if someone posts anything I would not be proud to show my kids. Likewise, keeping things public keeps me from posting anything that I would not want to hand directly to their mother.
I am certain it will all work better that way. And I can make it happen here.
I will moderate comments if someone posts anything I would not be proud to show my kids. Likewise, keeping things public keeps me from posting anything that I would not want to hand directly to their mother.
I am certain it will all work better that way. And I can make it happen here.
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