Stretches

I'm in the home stretch with work, with the school year winding down to dismissal on the 20th. Unfortunately, there's tons of things I still need to do before heading off for the summer. There are some major placement issues and meetings that have been on my mind a lot and decisions to be made. (Dealing with people, most specifically other people's children, and knowing that your decisions impact their lives is a big responsibility and is not one that I take lightly!) Just as in everything thing I do, I can't do a half-assed job so it's weighing on me.

We've also instituted and online IEP process using a service called TIENET and I have a few to do before the end of the year. Just finding time to sit down and figure it out and input everything has been a challenge. This is the time of the year for many field trips and twice this week I'll lose my prep period because the kids won't have Art. Add to that, the myriad of other issues and things that I do on my prep and I'm getting behind the 8 ball. I've been taking them home every night but haven't been able to sit down to work on them during "my time".

Part of the reason for that is because I've been having back pain with my sciatica acting up so I've been mostly offline this week. I've also been busy with my class and catching up on lots of reading relating to Autism. I've also been out of touch with the social media world pretty much over the past couple of weeks. I've got a ton of things to think about and do, and need to sit down with a pen and paper (yes, lists still work best for me the old fashioned way) and prioritize. I've got many things that need my attention but definitely need the back to cooperate to allow me to sit here for any length of time.

Off to work now, and deciding whether or not to call the doctor. (I've been able to sit long enough to make this post so perhaps it's waning.) It's a very busy week both in school and out, and Kelsea graduates on Monday so there's a party to plan and prepare for as well, not to mention the usual house and yard work, and exercise.

Disconnected

Just when you think that things will happen a certain way, something comes up and they change. My last post celebrated my day of freedom because the ASSessment was done finally. I thought for sure that my free time would increase and I would be able to start working on so many of the New Media projects and things that require my attention and also finish my class that had to take an incomplete for this spring. My body had other ideas.....

I spent over a week with very swollen glands and a sore throat and a couple of days with a fever so I ended up working and then literally going right to bed when I got home for the rest of the day/night. But more than that, I got a new student who is VERY challenging and presents a combination of many issues requiring ALL of my attention.

I've been going into work early and staying late until he's actually on the bus and on the way home as well as expelling tons of mental energy brainstorming ways to meet all of his needs and transition him into a school environment both while at work and at home. So, all of my free periods, which were reclaimed as the assessment ended have been full of paperwork and things related to this situation instead.

It also was one of those hectic stretches where the commitments on the calendar just don't seem to stop. Add the less-than-stellar-health to the mix and the Social Media world definately is not high on the priority list. Sure, I managed to scan the inboxes for super important emails but Google Reader has piled up and up. I've barely Twittered and Second Life is a distant memory. It seems strange to not have my finger on the pulse of what's going on right now. And although it's tempting to go back and try to "catch up", it'll be practically impossible so I'll scan GR quickly then as tough as it'll be, "Mark All Read" for many of them then start fresh.

I would love to say that this week will be different, however I don't expect things to change much until I actually get out of school and start my beloved Summer Life... (ahhhh... just the thought brings a smile to my face. ) There was a major issue at school yesterday with one of my other students, lots of end of the year paper work to do, IEPs to write, meetings to hold and just the busy spring calendar itself with family things, Special Olympics and such.

I also started an Autism course that I've been waiting for which will run for 9 weeks bringing me into July. I've been reading a lot of books about Autism as well. Of course, I'll still be trying to squeeze out a weekly podcast too, even if it's via iriver like the last two.

So, if you don't see or hear much from me for awhile, it's not that I don't love you... I'm just spread too thin.

busy, Autism+Project+of+RI, New+Media, Social+Media, second+life, Google+Reader, school