I'm still alive!

Wow! I was just looking at the last time I was on here! So much has gone on since then. I have had so many wonderful surprises.

First off, I was surprised to find myself finishing the school year at the school I student taught. It was so great getting to hang out with that staff again. They are rock stars. Also the teacher I was called in for does an amazing job with his students. So thankfully they were great (plus it was the end of the year so it's not like I had to teach them any new concepts.)

Then when I thought I was done and settling down to summer, I was asked to be a summer school para with a school that I enjoy working for. I gladly excepted. It sounded like such a great opportunity. The experience was going to teach me so much. Next surprise...I received a phone call asking me to be a summer school teacher instead for a school I also love working at. Yes, please!

I have loved every little minute of this job. We are two weeks in, and I am reminded everyday why I love teaching. When your students suddenly get what you are thrown down it is the best! I love watching a student work their little tail off on a goal and then have that awesome clickie moment where they just get it and can do it with out even thinking. This is what I live for. To help my students grow and be their very best. By the way, we made Hiaku's and my second graders learned division and rocked (especially when I threw in M&Ms.) Even though we have some very unique challenges, I am so looking forward to seeing my kidos tomorrow.

One not so fun surprise was the Boys and Girls club. I was so excited when they called me and asked me if I wanted to volunteer. Even though I was tired from Summer School, I still wanted to volunteer. I felt like it was a good organization and I knew that they needed help. So I met with the person in charge of volunteers (we'll call her Ms. Organized.) She showed me around, introduced me to everyone and we agreed that I would do a writing class and help with a claymation software class. Great! This will be so much fun!

That next week I showed up for my first day. The secretary (we'll call her Ms. Friendly) asked who I was (even though we had met last week.) Knowing that Ms. Friendly is busy and it might be hard to remember some people, I told her my name and that I was suppose to be volunteering that day. She handed me the application form to sign up to volunteer and told me to fill it out. I reminded her (with much patients) that I had already filled it out and that we had met last week. She then told me that the Ms. Organized would call me if I was approved. (SIGH!) I (still patient) reminded her that Ms. Organized had called me and we had set up today as the day I would volunteer. The secretary then informed me that she would have to check with Ms. Organized.

About two minutes into my wait Ms. Friendly pointed at a 3-ring binder and told me to sign in. (Ok. Wait. There is no pen and Ms. Friendly is now on the phone.) After I stared at her for another minute, she finally handed me a pen (without saying a word.) So I look up my name. It is not there and I cannot find any forms to fill out. I begin to stare at Ms. Friendly again. When she hung up, I was finally able to ask for the form. Ms. Friendly (Sighing very loudly) said, "Hand me the book!" She pulled a form out from under a stack of papers in the back pocket. Then explained the form to me after another loud sigh.

I waited around 10 minutes before Ms. Organized showed up (mind you I am already tired from teaching summer school all day.) Ms. Organized told Ms. Friendly that I was in fact in the system (Why didn't Ms. Friendly just look me up? The computer is right there!) Ms. Organized then told two little girls to show me around. (ummm... okkkk.) That was the last I saw of Ms. Organized. In fact that was the last time I was talked to by an adult. Obviously all the staff members had forgotten what services I had offered.

It was such an awful experience. The game room was loud, rough, and disorganized. The few people who were trying to help these kids have structure, were undermined by there own coworkers. I also felt like they should have provided me with a helmet, since I was almost knocked unconscious so many times by pool Q's. What really surprises me is that this organization has the nerve to blame the adults in our community for their lack of volunteers.

Now off to a much deserved bubble bath and coffee.