Where Did September Go?

October starts on Saturday. Wonderful. Where was I during September?! I feel like I've missed an entire month, and yet if I really look back on it, I've accomplished alot. But can it really be October (almost) already? Kevin will be the first to remind me that this is only a month from his birthday. And once that hits, everything is a blur through to New Years. Kevin's brother's birthday was last week. My dad's birthday is today, then Mom's is next week. Kevin's parents wedding anniversary is the end of October. Then Kevin's birthday at the beginning of November, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. It's one of my favorite times of year, but the last couple of years, I've been surprised by how quickly it has come upon us.

Meanwhile, work is going well. I have a child who worries me. He came to me after his family was displaced by Katrina. Sweet little boy, and I've earned his trust. But there's a missing puzzle piece and I've yet to discover what it is. According to his mother, he doesn't have an IEP or a 504 Plan, both of which offer specialized services for learning disabilities. But his academics are soooo low for 4th grade. He has an extremely long response time when asked a question and even then often is not able to come up to with the correct answer, or any answer at all, even on simple recall questions. He will leave his seat and move to get something I've asked him to find in his bookbag and then completely forget why he is over there. I've spoken to all the specialists and the principal, who asked me to wait because he may be transferring schools again. In the meantime, I worry about this child. And he's a sweet kid. I'm just not sure if he should be in my classroom.

Meanwhile, the principal walked in while I was teaching today and announced that he needed to "see me at the earliest possible convenience." Which always makes your stomach drop. Turns out that there is a parent of another 4th grade child, in another classroom, who wants her child moved. The principal recommended me. She's coming in tomorrow afternoon to meet me. I should be flattered, right? Eh. Not so much. It has been my experience that when a parent wants their child moved, it is often because that child is a discipline problem and moving the child is a way of avoiding facing the problem. Now, before any parents become angry with me, I'll repeat that this has just been my experience. I'll know more tomorrow, after I meet with the child's current teachers and the parent. Here's hoping. I have such a well-behaved, innocent group of kids this year. We have a really good dynamic right now. Change makes me nervous.

And a final note...ALL the wedding pictures have arrived and I've sorted through them. Everybody will get what they ordered. This is no small feat, as Kevin's parents, grandma, and my parents all sent me orders, which I added to Kevin's and my order and THEN sent to the photographer. Organization was key here, but all's well that end's well.

Dinner has failed to magically appear on its own, so I'll have to go take care of it. Hamburgers tonight. With BEEF for the red meat eaters in the family. Ciao!