Lock In

This has been just the nuttiest week. It was a LONG, short week if you know what I mean. There were only 3 school days this week but I felt spread really thin. My aide stayed home sick one day. She came the next day but wasn't even a warm body, she barely functioned. Then she went home early today. I was relieved. I didn't want to tell her to go home, but she needed to. She wasn't checked in at all because she felt so sick. She needs the money and so she was forcing herself to stay. She is saving up for her wedding this summer. She wasn't really working or contributing in any helpful way. A lesson we have to learn is our own limitations. One day I had a high school student help me. She is really good because she sets healthy boundaries with the kids. She is also perceptive enough to see a need and jump right in. That makes it sooo nice when you feel like you do not have to micro-manage someone.

Then for half of one day I had a parent come in to help. This parent is also great at jumping into the routine in a calm and assertive manner. Today I didn't really have much help but I didn't have the Kinder's so it was manageable. After school a parent had planned a "lock in" at school. She had asked me to help so I said yes. I helped organize a few things. It was mostly controlled chaos. The kids were already tired and then they stayed after school for fun and games. There were some moments of to much relaxation in adult supervision. I think they are sometimes a little too trusting. It is the students that haven't had clear boundaries that test them, and test them. They act like they don't like it when you say no. It is interesting to see them so confused by the word no. NO. A short, simple, powerful word.

We finally got the testing issues taken care of. So that is some progress on the technology issue. They finally got filters installed on the computers. However, they got a little too ridiculous about it. I am amazed the things that are blocked for staff members. I think we are going to have to come together as a staff and say this is silly. I think there was some abuse of privileges by a staff member, so that is probably why they went so far with it. It is frustrating though because we are so isolated our home internet is completely unreliable. Speaking of home internet... mine has been down quite often. I will be posting when I can. Our school is provided internet by a T-1 line. It is the only reliable internet access we have available to us.

If I understand correctly our math teacher has resigned. It was time for him to move on. I am very concerned what/who we will end up with for the rest of the year. It could make things very interesting. I think they have found someone who can start next year. The rest of this year... I don't know. Our high school students really get the short end of the stick. It makes for very unmotivated students. We have had an opening for a Science Teacher for over a year. Those who have applied have not passed the background check. If you know someone in science who wants to make a HUGE difference tell them about this teeny little town in the middle of nowhere. It is worth it. I think of all the time and effort I put in. Sometimes I am sooo tired but I never feel like it wasn't worth it.

Along with our St. Patrick's Day fundraiser, I have been working on applying for a grant. I finally got to talk to the right people today. I even had a chance to talk with our principal about it. She said if we got the grant approved she would pay for half of this opportunity with our school budget. It is the Rosetta Stone Language Program. There are so many amazing and wonderful things about this for our school that I hardly know where to start. So I will give you my list. Every single student in our school can use it from K-12. In my class I will choose a language that we can do together, but we can choose any language they have available. High school students will be able to pick what they want to learn. Giving them a little power over choice in positive ways is a good thing. Also It would be internet based so we wouldn't have to rely on our "Tech" people to make sure the software was installed correctly. It also makes teachers the "administrators" so it can be used as a foreign language class in which grades can be attached to it. Then there is the best part the opportunity for our students is phenomenal in so many ways. The opportunity for me is amazing because I can do it right along with them. The bummer is we have to purchase a certain number of site licenses. However, I am hoping administration will let us "sell" some of those to local parents or community members. This would help cover some of the cost for us and give the community a really cool opportunity. I have a lot of work to get this done and not much time to do it in. Cross your fingers for me because I think this is something that our students really NEED!!