New Teacher Orientation

It sounds like more than it was. It was just watching a video about blood borne pathogens (which I've now seen about 5 times) and filling out insurance paperwork. After that I went to have lunch with Steven and the secretary from Hernandez had called. I needed to go by the school and try on a shirt to give her my size. The shirts are for convocation. I asked the principal a few questions but she had to go back to a training. She called the head spec ed teacher from the campus and asked if she could stop by and talk to me for a few minutes. We talked for about an hour and a half. I will be teaching 5th graders. I'll have about 12 or so and I'll go with them from language arts, to math, and science. I'll have a few other students that I go help as needed while my kids are at their specials (pe, computer, etc). I won't have to do lesson plans or keep a gradebook. And they have a spec ed clerk who fills in the ARD and IEP paperwork. So pretty much what I'll be doing is teaching without a lot of the other stuff. S (the head spec ed teacher) said that she thought inclusion was a great position because there's so little of the outside stuff to keep up with. Just progress reports, some paperwork, and then teaching. I'm pretty nervous but I'm excited also. S said that the teachers I'm working with are great and will treat me like a co-teacher (which is what I am) not like an aide. And they have experience with co-teaching, so that makes me feel better.

Today Steven and I went and got our marriage license. It really wasn't exciting. I can only imagine how I seemed to other people when I worked at the county clerk's office. She probably does dozens a week and has that not-quite-polite voice of repeating the same questions over and over: "Are you related to the bride/groom? Are you deliquent on child support? Are you currently married?" But it's exciting to have that piece of paper ready for next Saturday.

Job

As in, I have a job!! WOOHOO!! I got the call last week from the principal at Hernandez Intermediate offering me a position. Yesterday I got a call saying that my recommendation to the superintendent had been approved. Tomorrow I go to new teacher orientation. I'll be co-teaching in a class with a high percentage of kids with special needs. Right now I'm not even sure if I'll be teaching 5th or 6th, but it doesn't really matter. I'm really looking forward to it.

wedding progress

Steven and I went to HEB to order our cake last week. We were trying to explain to the lady in the bakery how we wanted the icing decoration but she wanted us to bring in a picture in case she's not the one who makes the cake. So Kathy and I decided to make a cake and try our hand at decorating. At Photobucket you can see the interesting results. We're not going to make or decorate our own cake. I also decided to make my own earrings for the wedding. I got the beads out of a magazine and made the earrings last night. There are pictures of them on Flickr. Check them out.