My P.B.& J.

Day 21
Today I am so very thankful for my aides, Janice and Becky. Without these two women I literally would not be able to do my job. They are constantly on the run, managing assignments for students when they are out of my room, putting out friend-fires, making copies for me, and basically keeping order. I am so spoiled by them. Today I was trying to get ready for an IEP after school when a different parent came in and wanted to talk. I still needed to print the IEP, find my table underneath the pile of papers, books and posters that had taken up residence on it, and make my room look a little more orderly. My sweet para saw my need and probably the panic in my eyes, so she quietly straightened up while I talked with this other parent. She got me a new ink cartridge when my printer gave me a pink version of the IEP, printed a new copy for me, gathered the Procedural Safeguards and information sheet...and just overall saved the day. She even went hunting down administration and teachers to come to my IEP!
Everyday these two women work so hard to make sure that our students have what they need to be successful outside of my room. They help me balance subjects when I have multiple things to teach in one class period, and they even occasionally get to take over teaching while I deal with the crisis of the day. Janice and Becky are the quiet heroes of my room. I try everyday, multiple times, to tell them thank you, but it goes deeper than that. I cannot adequately describe how thankful I am for these two women in my life!
On a similar note, I am so thankful for Patti, my cooperating teacher from my student teaching! Though I am in my own school and in my own class she is still there to offer support and encouragement as needed. I sent her an email in a panic this morning and she quickly answered back and gave me the information that I was missing. I love knowing that she is there for me as a cheerleader, and that she has confidence in my abilities. So many times I think back to the conversations we had and the feedback she gave me, and it is what gets me through. If I do anything right at all during the day it is because she taught me right! I only wish that we were teaching at the same school, or even the same district! I sure do love and miss her!