Retired? But am I?

 I decided to retire as I turned 65.  I retired just before winter break.  It did not seem real as it was break anyway.

We stayed in Tahoe.  Tahoe had six feet snow fall so skiing wasn't in for me. We can back to San Diego and we off to visit my parents.  Mom had come down with cancer (blood) and I wanted to see her at least one more time.  We had a party.  She screamed at me in front of Larry and my dad.  So fun.  Yes I left home at 17 and never lived there again.  I wonder if there was a reason I did that?  It was great to see my brothers, nephews and niece.  I enjoy their company.  We even saw my cousin Jon and his wife Laurie.  The word has great people in it. 

Back to San Diego, SDYC history committee, La Playa Trail committee meeting then Jury Duty.  Ugh.  I was selected as an alternate. Felony and determined guilty.  This led to a delay in our being back in Tahoe.  We were ready to ski again.  This time Becca, Ben, Connor, Seby, Anne and Andrew, and Henry joined us.  I was able to ski with Sierra.  She is four and was being held by her dad with ropes. Whitney joined us in the Bolder lodge.  So fun!! But after they left I had come down with bronchitis.   So sick and my voice was a low bass. 

I was able to sub at Dewey for a teacher out with COVID.  That was so fun until the Tk teacher had to go out and they moved me there.  I do not do well with that age group.  The teacher had worksheets for them to do for the whole day.  Ugh too boring. I made it through the day with lots of help from the YMCA day care people.  At the end of the day while packing up, some boys decided to put their backpacks in the front and were playing bumper boys. I blew my outside whistle inside. I had their attention.  I whispered we don't do that in here.  I was so thankful when the last child was picked up.  Give me special ed 3rd and 4th graders any day.

I subbed for my replacement next at Ocean Beach Elementary.  I was so fun to see everyone.  It was great. I am not into giving tickets for good behavior as I just expect it but we had 'fun' Friday. I supported my co-teacher again.  I missed teaching so much.  I covered one day for my co-teacher and it went well.  It was field day and I did have a student or two dump the tub of water over themselves.  I just made sure the office did not give them dry clothes. That was a simple consequence they could endure.

Then off to Boston for my son's wedding. It was just great.  Anne has a wonderful family. None of my family or friends were able to make the wedding.  Prices have gone up so much.  They made me feel like part of their family.  We made it back and my ear was bothering me in the plane.  Wednesday I took a Covid test and I was positive.  I have been home for a week of Covid.  I am looking forward to feeling well again.  So far 17 people have come down with covid including Anne, Andrew and Henry.

Back in School

 Distance Learning is almost over!  So exciting!  I now work with 3rd and 4th graders in school four days a week for the whole school day.  We have a check-in on Fridays.  Students are supposed to do their work on their own on Fridays.

I never realized how fatiguing zoom teaching was until it was over.  I could hardly walk upstairs after teaching much less go for a walk or bike ride.  Now I am riding to school at least 3 times a week. As we are nearing a month less of school I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What is amazing is how many students with special needs did better at home than at school.  Those students that struggle with ADHD or ADD were able to concentrate at home and complete their assisgnments. Many of my students improved more than a year in reading and are doing better in math than when they left.  They are shocking me.

Having an online option may be a good opportunity for many students to learn and excel.  But the social thing about school is important also.  

Summer After Distance Learning

Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote.  I am back at Ocean Beach Elementary full time.  Beth decided to retire.  We had a new Ed Specialist Addy who became upset at how some teachers treated her.  (ie they put her under the bus). So Addy left and went back to the charter school she used to work at and we have a new intern Bridget.  I think we work well together.

Distance Learning was abrupt.  We found out at noon we were leaving school not knowing when we would return.  We hastily divided up duties.  I was to support Marie Wright’s 3rd grade room and Cyndie Volpone’s 4th grade classroom.  I was going to continue to meet with my kinder group, 2nd grade group and 4th grade group.

Well - trying to get kinders to meet was hard.  I was only getting 1 at a time to show up.  I have 4 1/2 hour zoom sessions scheduled.  For my second grade group - only 1 at a time showed up for that as well at 4 1/2 sessions per week.  Marie wanted my 3rd grade group to show up after hers but for 3 weeks no one showed up except me.  The 4th grade group did show up and it was fun!!!  But after 3 weeks, I asked Bridget if we could combine groups.  She was already running a K group so I had mine join her.  She was also running a 2nd grade group so mine were to join her.

Overall many students were learning and doing a good job.  I had two real no shows.  I contacted parents often but it did nothing.  I would like to co-teach next year if a teacher is willing to try it.

For my first education book of the summer, I read “Schooled’ by; Stephanie Jankowski.   This is a great book about what really goes around with teaching.  It made me laugh out loud in some parts.  I recommend it.  Enjoy!

Off to Urgent Care

Of course my husband who has felt bad all day decided after 10 pm he must go to Urgent Care. So I drive and we are at Scripps Green Urgent Care. We get right into a room but it has been over an hour and no one has checked on us. I don’t see any one in the halls. The place does not appear to be busy. I am glad I am not sick here with a fever like when I went to the ER at Kaiser.

We wait. Last time we were here the service was quicker but the service was poor. They gave him an infection and did not give him the proper equipment on Friday,  Luckily he saw his regular Primary care and got antibiotics just in time —Monday

I ran into someone and she said she would have our nurse check in with us.  But another 15 minutes goes by. I found the nurse and they are very busy. They do not check on patients except for every two hours. We have only been here 1 1/2 hour. I didn’t know about not checking for two hours. The nurse said there is a patient in front of him so it could be a few more hours before a Dr sees my husband.

Note to self- don’t go to a Urgent care

12:20 am someone came in to examine him. They found something unusual and want to drain it and look for pus. Dr came back and put lotocaine , Benadryl and something to numb it before the shot.at 12:30 am.

Dr came back with shot and said to wait 5 min.

The night nurse came to do blood pressure.  He was very friendly and nice.  We were finished by 2 am and then left to pick up the drugs at a nearby pharmacy.

Life Happens!

I have not been blogging here in quite some time.  But great things have been happening.  I now work at a school close to me.  I have great students and staff to work with.  I have a new student teacher, Carly.  Next week two first-year students start their journey toward obtaining their special education credential.

I have the opportunity to go into general education classes and set them up with google docs.  I help the teachers and the students become more familiar with it.  I also teach them how to use google read-write extension.

I also am a resource of how to make your iPad work with ST Math.  Students come into my room for help.  I took the plunge this year and wrote a grant on DonorsChoose.org and wow, I have two grants funded already.

My students love their wobble chair and bouncy chair.  I love my new book cart and movable white board.  We have 12 students learning phonics in my room every day.

My tutoring business is still doing well. I currently work 4 hours a week and find that is doable.  I am involved at my church with choir, bells and prayer quilts.  I am involved with the community with La Playa Trail - a historical group in Point Loma.

I have two grandsons, 8 and 4 and another grandchild on the way.  I still enjoy skiing, boogie boarding and walking my dogs.  There never seems to be enough time for everything.  But life is good.

Power of Tiny Distractions

This information comes from an article in the March 3, 2015 Wall Street Journal written by Sue Shellenbarger.  Another name for this article could be "How desk toys help office workers stay  on top of their mental game." Many teachers find some of their students seem to have ADHD or some variation.  They are the students constantly moving.  They can't keep up with you.  They seem to be in their own world focusing on everyone else but not you.

This article is talking about working adults playing with items that might increase creativity, or help with focusing.   So I would like to know if you think any of these manipulators would work with your students.

• Rubber toy/ball which can be squeezed to vent frustration or lighten the mood.  (Would your students throw it?)
• Pen ( could you stand having students clicking a retractable point pen over and over?  This is to help the mind sustain attention through mundane tasks.  (Just imaging over 30 of these pens clicking at one time...)
• Magnets (as long as your students would not swallow them - they are highly toxic.) 
• Sandbox.  "Playing with sand is relaxing and can spark conversation." (I personally would not allow this at each desk.  But sending a child to the sand station might be an option.)
• Smooth stones.  (Again as long as a student would not throw the stones it might work.)  I would recommend they keep in their pocket or in their desk.)
• Clothes  pin.  "randomly attaching a pin to another object, such as a pencil, helps an office worker avoid zoning out when bored."  So this makes me wonder are many students acting out because they are bored?  Are teachers talking too much?  What would happen if you had that distracted student teach the class?
• Slinky (I would avoid this as they are easily broken if pulled.)
• Coat toggle This is a great idea as long as it is cold enough for coats.  I teach in CA so this would only be a good option for a few month.

So the research says that "certain kinds of hand movements have an impact on cognitive functioning, improving focus or sparking fresh thinking or faster learning."  So it might benefit you class to have object to move, click, squeeze, poke, feel...

Valulable Lessons in Learning

I was just browsing the New York Times when I found this article by Tara Parker-Pope.  I am helping a student prepare for the SAT's and found it to have good advice. (Oct 7, 2014)

The author was looking at a book that challenges the notion that high test scores equals true learning.  He feels students need to study smarter.  "How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where and Why It Happens" by B. Carey.

I summarize these as follows:

1. Change your study environment time to time. Desk, kitchen table, Starbucks, etc.
2. Talk about your learning to either yourself or study mates.
3. Review the information one to two days after learning it the first time.
4. Sleep better ie: foreign language test go to be early and wake up to review.  Math test study late and then sleep as long as possible.

It is amazing what the brain can do if you just change the way you study...