Day 7- Good Days, Bad Vibes (there's a rant in this one...)

Hey, all!

Today was a great day. Emphasis on was. It started out wonderfully. I got up on time to serve breakfast, looking beautiful, if I do say so myself. Serving breakfast was fine, and so was the beginning of the day. It took a turn around lunch time...

I was put in charge of making sure my girls and a little first grader who got to lunch late would all make it back to class. Usually, after lunch time is a ten minute recess to get the wiggles out. Right after that, we all go back to class. Apparently, it took much longer than anticipated for one of my girls and the first grader to get outside. Our class was gone, and I did not have a key. I had to wait for the other teacher on the playground to collect her class and line them up to go inside. The first grader wanted to go to class on her own, and the girl from my class wanted to stay by my side. I let the first grader go to her room (she was right down the hall from us), and dropped off the girl in my class so I could go make sure she made it back. She did, thankfully. However, my second transport of kids for the day went pretty badly. One of the boys needed to go to the bathroom really badly as we were lining up to go back to class. I told him to go on ahead and go, as the bathroom was just around the corner. When I was counting the kids to return to the classroom, I was one short. He was missing. I asked the boys to check the bathroom, and he wasn't there. I took them back to class and told my cooperating teacher what had happened. I returned to the hall to look for him. I went to all the bathrooms in the school, peeked in the Resource Room (he's allowed to go there when he needs it), checked in the office, and also in the gym. I went back to the classroom and he wasn't back yet. "Oh great, I lost a kid," went through my head many times today. My teacher said to double check the Resource Room to make sure he wasn't in there. I opened the door, get ready to ask them if he's in there, and I look just to my left. He was there, the whole time, right by the door, playing on the computer. Phew. The teachers and I had a good laugh about it. Never again will I let this particular boy go to the bathroom on his own, not when he doesn't have the standard school hall pass, which is an orange reflective vest (similar to those used in construction sites and by people directing traffic) with the words "HALL PASS- EXCUSED" typed on them. 

The day was okay after that little freak-out. During dismissal and after school, I was talking with Nick, who made the day a little bit better with some humor and awesome tales of the eighth grade. He took a tour of my classroom with my teacher and I, and we walked back to the dorms to get ready for the pre-supper activities. The little girls (the ones in my wing) were all showering, so I went over to the cafeteria about 40 minutes early. I ended up talking with some of the cafeteria workers and attempting to kill some flies. We had a great supper tonight-mutton stew and fry bread with fruit/marshmallow salad. It was delicious.

After supper was the real downside of my day. I guess some of the people we are working with (not from IU) have been saying things about us not meeting their expectations. I don't get it... all of us have been so willing to help, never turned anyone down if they ask for something. I know I'm always asking what I should be doing, who I can help, etc., so I am not quite sure how I could be described as "lazy" at this point in time. The worst part about it was that they haven't said ANYTHING to any of us about doing extra activities, even when we ask. It's frustrating, but I'm hoping once we all get into a routine, things will be better. Maybe we will even communicate with one another. :)

After this discovery, I made it my priority to be a great helper tonight. I asked the dorm aid what she wanted me to do since the girls had finished watching their fire safety video. I was the one running around like a madwoman, making sure the girls were getting their homework done, getting their PJs on, and getting ready for bed. The dorm aid was the one handing the girls their freshly laundered clothes (she washed/dried them, I'm pretty sure) and making sure they brushed their teeth and sending them to bed. It was a pretty crazy night. The other two ladies from IU were also helping with homework and bedtime, too. 

Hopefully we're not considered lazy anymore. :) 

Aside from that, it was actually a good day. I just want to play outside, though. I feel bad for the girls because they only get so much free time since they are in bed by 8. :/ 

I'm thinking tomorrow will be great!!! It's hump day (middle of the week) and the day before my birthday! Yay!