Thank you kind readers for putting up with my absence. Several things have happened. As stated in the April Reading Challenge post, I was a long-term paraeducator substitute for the last month or so of school. When I was done with that I started planning Summer Reading Program. That had to then be put into motion.
Over the summer, while working on Summer Reading Program, I was approached by a principal about taking a teaching position. I quickly turned it down, mostly because I couldn't take it. I have an education degree for Earth Science and Chemistry for 6-12th grade. This job I was offered, was for teaching preschool, 4 year olds. Well, I am doing exactly what I would have been doing if I had accepted the position! I took it as a long-term teacher substitute position, starting the first of August. I have been doing exactly what a first year teacher would be doing. From setting up the classroom to writing lesson plans to behavior management, I am doing it. Some nights I leave as soon as school is over, but most of the time I am there until 6 or 7pm. Creating everything from scratch takes a lot of time. This long-term will be over in December.
I have already been approached by another school to do a long-term paraeducator substitution starting in February. I have not given them an answer yet.
Other life events have happened. At the beginning of September, my fiance of 9 years broke up with me. I will say that we have been growing apart for at least the last year, so it wasn't completely unexpected. One of his complaints was that I don't talk about what is going on with me. So I broke down and told him exactly what I have been dealing with for at least the last 15 years. I have undiagnosed/untreated depression and anxiety issues.
After the breakup, I was trying everything I could to get some help with these issues. It took over a month to even get into intake with a provider. I just finished my 3rd counseling session yesterday. I hope things get better for me, and I can learn from the sessions!
Once things calm down, I hope to get back to reading and getting reviews done!
