change of pace

Yesterday felt a bit like a vacation day. The weather was unseasonably warm (85 degrees!) and sunny and I was out of my classroom most of the day. It felt like a cross between playing hooky and leaving the kids with a babysitter. In the morning I attended a training on the new web-based IEP reporting system that we are switching to at work and in the afternoon, I attended a three year re-evaluation for one of my students who is in kindergarten. His district scheduled the meeting and it involved a pretty big team, so I needed to miss class time. That doesn't happen very often because usually my meetings are before or after school hours. It was a bit rejuvenating!

It was Teacher Appreciation week and for the first time in 14 years, my class is housed in an actual school. Though I am not really a teacher, I am an educator and I was able to be part of the fun. The parent teacher organization spoiled the staff rotten. They provided a fruit/granola/yogurt bar on Monday, all kinds of different pop corns on Tuesday, incredible cupcakes on Wednesday and from what I was told, a salad bar on Thursday. The principal also cooked breakfast for the staff on Wednesday morning. Some of our students brought Caileen and me gifts too... Fannie May , 

Flowers, a fun assortment of office supplies, an Olive Garden gift card. So sweet! 

flowers from students

nice spread!

I ended up the week with my Friday Friends, as I like to refer to the amazing coworkers who work with kids with behavioral/emotional issues. It can be such a tough job and they handle it 5 days a week. I only work in that program on Fridays and some weeks I come home absolutely drained. Today was one of those days. Tonight I am picking up Jack from the airport and we are going to go hang out with Sally, Matt and Matt's family. Good thing I had my after work nap!