My Brain Has Turned to Mush

Being a transponster hasn't been easy these past couple of weeks. Year-end preparations include several meetings and tons of paperwork. On top of that, I continue to teach nine International students and four Autistic students, plus manage the caseload for my two Physically Dependent students and teach one class of PE.

On Tuesday, I had four meetings to attend, two of them outside of the school. I have written notes, PowerPoint papers, and free manipulatives all over one of the two tables I have in my room.

On Wednesday, I went on an all-day field trip with some of my International students and some of the First Nations students, which was really nice to finally take a break from transition preparations. We went to the Hiwus Cultural Centre in North Vancouver. They were very generous and I think the kids had fun, but next time I'll go somewhere more local and less expensive.

On Thursday, I had two of my Autistic students have a "meltdown," but while I dealt with them in the morning, I had to deal with a potential bullying incident all afternoon for another Autistic student. Thankfully, the bullying incident turned out less malicious than we originally thought and the issue was resolved, but only after separate interviews with nine students. I am incredibly blessed to have two very intelligent and understanding people help me out during all these incidents. Without them, I think I would have gone bonkers.

Today, I spent all day dealing with one of my Autistic students and her "meltdown," but even though the problems ceased by lunchtime, she wanted to stay in my office with me instead of going back to her regular classrooms. So, we set up a little office space in the corner of my room just for her to work in. Then after school, I attended a 2.5hr long meeting for one student who is coming to my school next year. After that, I went back to the school to work until 8pm. And I didn't even get to half the things I was hoping to get done by the end of this week.

Speaking of "my school next year," I may not even be there next year. It turns out that because I started working two weeks into the school year, I missed the full 10-month contract that allows me to go on the lay-off list. It sounds absurd, but I actually want to be on the lay-off list because my current status puts me beneath them. That means, as of June 30, 2008, my contract terminates and I go back to being a TOC. So, my job is offered first to teachers who are coming back from a leave-of-absence, then to teachers on the lay-off list, and finally, if no one on either of those two lists snatch up the job, the job is publicly posted for which I can apply for again. The only question I have now is how much seniority I have now after working nearly ten months at the school district. I'm a little choked because the reason why I started working only after school has started is because the school board office gave my current principal the wrong phone number. So, I had applied for this job in August, the principal called the wrong number more than once, the person he had been calling finally called back to say that he's been getting the wrong person, he calls back to the school board office, the SBO see their mistake and gives the principal the right number, the principal calls me, and I get hired that same day he called. So, technically, it's the school board office's fault that I missed getting on the lay-off list.

Oh well. Actually, I'm in a better position to find a job that I'm actually trained for. Since graduating from UBC with my B.Ed., I have substituted twice for an English teacher in a secondary school. That has been my pathetic experience as an English teacher. However, the wealth of knowledge I gained teaching at an elementary school for kids with learning disabilities and being a Student Services teacher at a middle school is phenomenal and I hope I do get a second chance to work at my current school. This first year was a learning curve; I can't wait to have fun now that I know what I want to do and what I will not do the second time around.

I'm blessed with supporters who have gone to the higher-ups on their own accord to request that I stay at the middle school as Student Services teacher. I'm quite humbled by their advocating spirit. I'm sure the next person that gets hired in my job will be very good if not excellent and I'm sure that God will lead me to another amazing teaching opportunity somewhere else if I don't stay at my current school.

I sure will miss my kids, though.