Thank God it's Saturday

It's been a week since I've written and it feels like my mind has been occupied the whole time. First of all, I'm sick AGAIN. Grrr. Mason came down with an ear infection during the week, and is now on antibiotics. But, whatever crud he has draining from his nose 24-7 was passed on to me. Not a big surprise, but still not a pleasant one. I need to go to the store today and get some drugs. I can't breathe and my throat is all scratchy. Story of my life...okay, it's not THE story of my life, but it's certainly a chapter at least.

Anyways, work in general went much better than the week before. The other aide has returned in the 6th grade, so I'm only in there on Fridays again. I love those kids, but they exhaust me. The 3rd grade was okay, after I got some suggestions from the principal. I told them that it really hurts my feelings when I come in excited to teach and I have to spend so much time on behavior. I told them that I am a teacher too, and they need to respect that. At least it worked on Thursday. We'll see if I have to repeat myself Monday.

But work has been on my mind a lot in the past 24 hours. As you may have picked up on in many of my previous blogs, I have had my mind set on leaving the school I'm at in June at a running pace, and never looking back. But then, some new information got me thinking. The principal talked to me Thursday and said she wants to offer me a "competitive package" for next year, to teach 6th grade. She's mentioned it to me before, but she seems really set on offering it to me. I know I can make more there than in public school, but I had been telling myself that it wasn't worth it. The instability in that building can make anyone crazy. But then, she threw a zinger at me: they are planning on opening the school up to 2 year olds next year. That means that after Christmas Break, Mason could start coming for FREE. If I work there, I don't have to pay for Preschool. That would be so wonderful. And I know his current babysitter will be ready to have one less on her hands, if not sooner. She has two of her own, and now two foster kids at home. It makes for quite a houseful. And my other argument about not staying was that I didn't want to teach all subjects. But, the special ed teacher pointed out to me yesterday that I'll get two aides: I can have one teach math and the other can teach Science and Social Studies. Good point. She really wants me to stay too, so that I can prepare those kids for middle school. I love the lead in 6th this year, but she babies them WAAAY too much. They can turn work in months later, they have chances over and over to correct papers that have wrong answers, and they basically are treated like little kids. That's gonna be a serious shock for them that first day at the middle school as 7th graders, when they have 6 different teachers, lockers, homework every night and aren't allowed to turn assignments in late. Yikes.

I really don't know what to do. I'm praying on it and hoping that I am shown the way to go and soon. The principal where I'm working now would like an answer in the next month, and I have the public school district application sitting here waiting to be turned in after I get one more letter of recommendation. I'm in a pickle. And it smells like vinegar.