I tried, I changed, but still am getting divorced!

[newmama]

TODAY S came down with a fever (daycare exposure), so I texted stbxh. He said he would take tomorrow off because he knows how hard it is for me to miss work on the 2nd week of school. Tuesdays are his super important meeting days! I said thank you of course. I don't think this means anything other than he is being fair. But I do appreciate it!

[awest1217]

Glad H helped out and also that your week is starting out better.

[Mystik]

Glad H stepped up to the plate and took DS so you didn't have to miss work so early in the school year.

[newmama]

thanks...wishful thinking! I don't mean for my thread to turn into a vent about work. But in a nutshell, I called the office for relief from THE BOY twice today and my boy with Autism was overstimulated, making lots of noises, roaming the class (during transitions) and checking kids' desks for...something! I have a teacher meeting tomorrow to discuss options for THE BOY or brainstorm next steps.

And I am not going to go to Karaoke night tonight. The kitchen is a mess, I don't need the calories from pizza and beer, I AM EXHAUSTED and wouldn't mind catching up on the shows I recorded. (Top Chef, Oprah, 20/20, Dating in The Dark)But I need to do something fun on Saturday night!!!

[Seeing Red]

NewMama - I'm EXHAUSTED for you just reading your thread! I used to have that kind of patience with kids - taught beginning ballet for years to 5 & 6 year olds - but no more. Hope they move THE BOY for you - it's not fair to you, him, or the other kids to have to spend so much time with him.

That's nice that your stbxh took off work to help to stay with your sick son. The last time my WH did that was in 1999, and he gave me hell about it. In fact, when I told WH that I had a problem yesterday, that I needed to take S 7 to karate from 5-6, go to a parent meeting at 6:30 and pick up D 13 from dance at 7 - and I couldn't do it all - he said, "Yep, that's a problem." Then he went to his regular Tuesday night riding lesson without a second thought.

At least your stbx is ensuring a future with his son. Mine will be old and gray and wondering why his kids never call...

[awest1217]

NM - don't worry about venting about work. That is the point of this thread. A place to vent, and it seems like there are many teachers on here so you have a lot of support. I hope the meeting goes well with the principal about the boy. He definitely needs a 1 on 1 aid that will help him stay focused. He may have days that are good, and maybe by the end of last year, he was great, but obviously with the summer break, he needs a lot of 1 on 1 attention to get back into the routine of school.

With the house, believe me, there are days when my kitchen looks like what you described. Most of the time I go straight home after work and when S goes to bed clean-up a little, but that can't always happen especially if I plan to do something else.

I hope everything settles down a bit soon, at least so you can rest. I know for us we have 6 wks before our next day off so if it is the same for you, I hope everything goes well for the next few weeks and then you can have some time to relax.

[Mystik]

Sorry work has been stressing you out. I hear you on just needing a night in to pull the house back together and unwind a bit.

[gatsby11]

How is Dating in the DArk? Is it actually good?

I'm getting to a better place with my two boys, but still transitions are rough! (Just like you experienced!) I empathize fully.

[newmama]

lol- Dating in the Dark is kinda silly! I like to watch it because I like watching reality dating shows. It is just pure entertainment... it is interesting to hear how picky people are about looks or see people assume that others won't find them attractive and the reverse happens.

OK work- the meeting was OK. Apparently there are 2 things going on. ONE we need to address his behavior and get that under control (DUH!). So we added "visual schedule" and "breaks" with book on tape or computer (am still waiting for the computer guy to hook mine up)...I am going to find a piecer of a tape player because I bet he will break it somehow. But I do agree he needs breaks! How about breaks where he goes to the resource room for 30 minutes to get some INSTRUCTION? (My SPED teacher is a lazy SOB and it makes me want to be the SPED teacher for our building!) It is so not fair to my little guy! My class is waaaay too hard and overwhelming for him!

His mom told me this morning (and she speaks Spanish)that he was in a special class last year and that she thought he would still be doing it this year.

I am waiting for our translator to call her and then set up a meeting (I asked her last weekend and saw her in person and she didn't seem too concerned). I just emailed her again to see if she has been able to get hold of her yet. I expressed the urgency and gave her the name and number. GRRR!!! I don't care if she thinks I am a bitch. But i did say "I know you must be busy and I really appreciate it"

So another thing I said at the meeting was that I was an IEP team member and I would like to set up an IEP review. The school psych chuckled at me. What? Someone said they wanted to do an FBA. what will that do? how will that get him a more appropriate placement? I said " i can tell you the function of his behavior- it's work avoidance and peer attention." they chuckled again. ??? I said "I am serious!" and I wanted to tell them about the researchers from my college days who said that the teacher's first guess on the function of behavior had an 80% accuracy rate when they did a full on FBA. Sigh.

I said "in my opinion, he has the wrong placement. I can't believe they would take a kid straight from a self contained classroom with a 1:3 ratio and plop him into a regular ed classroom!" Without something in the middle like an aide, or part time pull out services...what the hell????


Oh and 1:1 aides are extrememly expensive in the district's eyes and they rarely ever give them out. It sucks because if the mom really knew her rights, she could get an advocate and then the district would be kissing her butt!

yep. hard day again. parts were good. I had some kids say cute things- I was reading "The Teacher from the Black Lagoon" and a little girl asked why the boy WANTED to go to the principal's office. I said "well how do you think he feels being in the classroom with that dragon for a teacher?" and another girl said "he wants to leave because the teacher is killing all of the kids!"

[newmama]

S' fever is lower. It is 100 now so I hope he will be back to his old self tomorrow! Stbxh has to go back to work tomorrow but he will be getting S overnight because I have a back to school night presentation that I need to give to my kids' parents.

My SIL said she would watch him if he was still sick tomorrow.