More Job News

Today was my first casual Friday. I understand that jeans are really no more comfortable than khakis, but they just have a more comfortable feeling. I loved it all day.

So, I work at a rather affluent school. From what I can tell, it's great. I had planned to go to the public library tonight to get some magazines for language sessions; however, I checked out the school library today, and they have a giant selection. You name it, and they have it. Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Time, National Geographic, National Geographic for Kids, Popular Science, Girls Life, BMX, Snowboarding, and that's not even half of the them. How fantastic. My job is going along quite swimmingly.

Things I Learned Today

1. Every Friday is casual dress. Umm, that's fantastic.

2. I will be going on at least 2-3 field trips a month with my two classes.

3. Scheduling is pretty easy when you only have 11 students.

New Job

Today was my second day at my first real job. It's proving to be challenging to advocate for myself and my position. Dunlap's special education services are provided by SEAPCO (special education association of Peoria county). Because of this, people at the middle and high schools have no idea who I am. Another problem is that I'm hired by a contract company that contracts me to SEAPCO, so I'm not actually a part of SEAPCO either. So far in my orientation meetings, I've heard about two different unions, both of which I'm not a member. This is okay, but it's just one example of how I don't really fit in.

On the positive side, I have tons of autonomy in my job. I get to move between the middle and high schools on a schedule that I create, and I get to provide services that I determine to be the most appropriate for my students. Any extra time will be spent working with the cirriculum teachers to faciliate classroom communication and on community outings. I think it's going to be great.

Today I learned a lot, but there are still many things to figure out.

1. Getting keys for the two classrooms. Could be impossible at the high school. They're very unwilling.

2. Finding all IEP goals. They're really disorganized in the files.

3. Getting parking stickers.

4. Getting a name badge.

5. Finding the teacher's workroom at the high school and getting a copy code.

6. Getting Dunlap and SEAPCO email addresses. Maybe I'll actually know when things are happening.

7. Geting my laptop. SEAPCO is still reformatting it.

8. Receiving a response or contact of any sort from my CF mentor. This is a big problem. She hasn't returned a phone call or email yet.

9. Proving I'm not as worthless as last year's SLP. The could take all year. There are some really negative SLP vibes where I'm working. I think most of the people I'm working with are looking forward to a change, though. I hope so.

Tomorrow's the first day with students. Should be fun.

Are You Kidding Me?

My bathroom needs some help. It's not horrible, but it's not particularly cute, either. I decided a few days ago that it could be improved pretty quickly by taking down the giant mirror and replacing it with two smaller framed ones. Today, that was my goal. I planned for this project to take about an hour at the most. Take down one mirror; hang up two. Done.

Ummm, except for when I took down the big mirror, and found three big holes behind it. Apparently during the last remodel in the mid 1990s, the last owners didn't feel the need to patch those. Why patch it when you can hang a mirror over it, right? I'm bummed. Time for plan b. I guess I'll just get a giant mirror that I like better to hang over the holes. It's worked for this long.
What I wanted to hang. What I found behind. I love the old wall paper, too.

Good Ridance Lilac

I've never considered myself much of a landscaper, but I do appreciate nice flower beds that clearly have a plan. This is my goal for my yard, just to look like I have a well-executed, if simple, plan. Since moving in, I've been thinking about the giant lilac bush that completely covered the front of my house. Who would plant something that would get so big right in front of the house? Horrible plan. I hated it. It was overgrown. It needed to go. Mom and I started trimming on it three weeks ago, then realized it was a bigger job than we expected. I then called seven tree service business. Do you think I could get someone to come to my house to take it down? No. The lilac was too big for me but too small for a professional. So, Wes started working on it with a chain saw and axe. He got it down to the ground, but I still had a giant stump to contend with. I started planning how to put mulch over it to hide it, but today my parents came to the rescue. The started digging, and three hours later, the stump was down at least eight inches below ground. I can replant over it! Woohoo! My parents are so good at things like this. I'm thrilled. Other projects they helped me with today include getting more bricks for edging and installing a new outlet for the microwave. I can now run the toaster oven and microwave at the same time without blowing a fuse. Such a great day.

Dining Room, Done!

I've been painting like crazy for the past week, and the dining room is now complete, with the living room and kitchen in progress. The only real change in the dining room, besides painting, was taking down the lovely floral valance from over the sliding doors. At some point, I would like to get a new light fixture, but for now, the room is finished. Our table looks small, but it's nice to have the space. Our apartment dining room was pretty cramped. Now when we have guests over, we can add a folding table with plenty of room. It's hard to tell, but the walls are a soft brown color with olive green curtains. The room is a bit sparse, but I love uncluttered spaces. So tidy looking.