Successful but Sweaty

I'm happy to report that today was a better day, but I was robbed of last night because I had to put myself to bed around 5:30. I was reading (luckily it was the kind of headache that I was still able to read) so I read for awhile and then fell asleep, but then ended up having a fitful night's sleep since it's normal to go to bed so early. Aargh! The only upside to killer headaches is the blissful contrast when they're gone; I end up feeling like a whole new person!


We ended up getting several inches of snow this morning (after school had started) so my car was covered by the time I went out there for lunch. I felt like I was in my own little lunch cocoon or something.


Also strange, was that I ended up doing much of the teaching for the two Math 7 classes I help with in the afternoon, because there was a substitute in there today and she felt like I knew the material better than she does (which makes sense because I'm in there every other day). It was crazy to be the one in front writing on the dry erase board and commanding the attention. Of course, the kids were still rather crazy but had moments of attention, so I felt successful but was sweaty by the end of it.

**Thoughts??**

Good Mail For Me and You Winners
5--Quelly
13--Jessie
4--Mayasmom
1--Linda
19--Courtney

Comment Window Tidbit: Oh that dinner would just appear!

Who Knew?

The Junior High is set up so that there A-days and B-days which means the kids have one set of classes on A-days and a different set of classes on B-days; this means my schedule changes like this too.


My A-days
Math 7 (it used to be an ESL class but they didn't really use my help much so it was torture for me)
PreAlgebra
Math 7
Math 7

My B-Days
Math 9
Reading 7
Math 7
Read 180

You'd think that I'd prefer my B-days because I get to go to a couple English classes, but I don't! I LOVE my A-days now that I have 4 math classes. I am busy all day helping the kids so it's rewarding and fun. I find that the English teachers don't need my help that much, it's more like they need another adult to help when the kids work in the computer lab. I don't mind this, but it's not as fun or rewarding as helping in the math classes. I know I've said this before, but I'm shocked by this and by how much I'm enjoying the math. It's like a game to me now that I've seen it explained and my frontal lobe (thank you Jen for this valuable information) is developed enough to grasp it easily. Who knew?

One thing I'm learning is that A LOT of kids suffer from ADHD and some of them are medicated and some of them are not and that the difference can be rough. I work with one kid who wasn't medicated when I first started helping, then he went back onto his meds (apparently he's been on them off and since kindergarten) and today he informed me he's not taking them anymore because he's too skinny because the pills take away his appetite. Meanwhile he was literally bouncing off the walls today and could hardly focus on anything even with me sitting right next to him trying to keep him on task. At one point he said, "I hate it when I don't take my pill" but then later he said "I hate it when I take my pill". I feel sorry for him and have no idea what I can do to help him.

**What do you like doing that
you're surprised you like to do?**

Comment Window Tidbit: It's kind of funny, but I have homework to do for tomorrow's Math 9 class. It's just one worksheet, but I find that if I have it done ahead of time I'm better prepared to help the kids. Plus, it's seriously stuff I don't remember ever seeing while I was in school.