happy friday

today was the best friday i've had at work so far this school year! i was able to go back to Mt. Tahoma for the day (the school i was at last year) - and it was great! i was down at the central office earlier this week to turn in some paperwork, and i just so happened to run into the plant lady (i can never remember what the proper name of her class is) from Mt. T. We had a great time chatting last year when i helped her get something setup on her computer - and we've enjoyed chatting about plants ever since. i've shared all of my plant experiments with her - from my 2 year old butterfly garden to my experimenting with a variety of plant based natural dyes lately. she, in turn, likes to ask my advice on the best way to do small art projects in her plant classes. she was having the kids paint clay pots today, and when she found out that i'm being paid to sit on my ass doing nothing all day, she got the idea to ask my principal if she could borrow me for the day. (my principal being the super awesome guy that he is told us to go for it)

...and so i had a fantastic day, constantly greeting former co-workers in the arts hall, and former students all over the building. so many of the kids were excited to see me and wanted details on why i wasn't there anymore. i tried to make it clear for them that it wasn't my choice, and that i would still really like to be there. (i even promoted my cause by requesting that they call HR and speak to a specific person who is in charge of placing me)... one girl said she'd call from every phone in her house every single day until she gets me back. i told her she'd be my new favorite student if she followed through on it... and knowing her it wouldn't really surprise me if she went to the effort of actually doing it!

one of my proudest moments of the day was seeing a boy i had in class last year (we'll call him J here) - J had a really hard time with math, which i found out when i accidentally walked into the wrong meeting and got to meet with his mom. i shared with him that i have dyscalculia (a math learning disability, yes it's real, and no it's not funny), and i told him that over time i had found a few things that did help me to learn a little better - and that i would be more than happy to do whatever i could to try to help him approach it in a way that would work for him. although he never actually asked me for any specific math help, he always knew that he had the support because i asked him every now and then when he was in my class how he was doing in math. i think just knowing that somebody cared must have helped - because when i saw him in the plant class today and asked him how he was doing, he said it was hard but he was doing better and he had a B!!!!!! in math this year!! i couldn't believe it (last i heard he had a D if he was lucky) ~ i told him i was totally proud of him and that i would brag about him the rest of the day! (i love student success stories!)

another bit of potentially promising(?) news - i already knew that the art classes at Mt. T were way overloaded, but i talked to the head of the art department there and found out that they were still really packed. on my way out of the building i saw the principal there, and mentioned to him that i was still displaced and doing nothing at Wilson, and would absolutely love to come back to Mt. T. i told him that it's been my favorite school (i don't know if he realizes i've been to 4 different schools in the past four years) - and i wasn't just sucking up - it really was my favorite place. i loved a lot of things about that place, and it's a place that i would be comfortable and happy with sending my own kids to.....

THEN on my way home i called the HR lady who is supposedly working on placing me (although considering that it really shouldn't take anywhere near 5 months to place me, i don't actually think she's working on it)... and politely mentioned to her that i had spoken w/ the head of the art department at Mt. T today and learned that their art classes were packed full, and politely told her that i'm curious to know why i'm not being placed back there. (no sense in being rude to the person who has direct control over the fate of your eventual work destination). she told me that she was unaware of the situation (i suspect that may not actually be true, since i've heard through the grapevine that Mt. T had requested more teachers due to overcrowded classes this year - though it's entirely possible that with the lack of organization down there, the message never filtered through specifically to her).... she said that she needed communication from Mt. T's principal regarding the need in their art department.... and so when i got home i e-mailed him and cc'd the head of Mt. T's art department, politely requesting that he (the principal) send her (the HR lady) an e-mail. at worst nothing will come of it... at best i could find myself teaching at my favorite school again! cross your fingers for me! (and don't worry, i was using my hands free bluetooth device for the call i made in the car) ;)