Special Ed

I have been wanting to post for the last two weeks or so... craving a post, really... my writers block has been too strong.  Nothing has seemed important enough to share.  (Another reason I don't tweet...twitter... whatever... who really cares about my boring life that much that I need to update you every five minutes about its goings on?)  So, anyway... 

My weeks have not been painfully dull, as I am trying to make them out to be.  I've had plenty of interesting things happen.  There is never a dull day working in special ed.  I'll give you a run down... 

Lots of "he said/she said" 

plenty of breakdowns because "You are so mean, Mrs. Heyerdahl!"  or  "I thought you were nice, but you're a total b**ch!"  Niiice.  

A little bit of head banging/body banging/laying on the floor/crawling under desks. 

A few meltdowns over SOL tests.  (Not nearly as many as I thought we'd have, to tell you the truth.)  

But if you really want to know... here's my favorite moment of the week... 

At our school we have this rule that in order for a student to participate in PE they have to be on level 1 day 4.  (It's a whole point system that that we use and that I really don't want to get into... so, just go with it.  Pretend like you know what I'm talking about.  Smile and nod.)  Anyway... 1 day 4... so, there are lots of students who unfortunately are perpetual level 1 day 1 kids and they will inevitably have to stay back from PE to do health most days.  And likely, I am the one who stays back with them, trying to calm them and get them to actually do their health assignment, or really just to keep them from exploding and ruining their day once again.  So, as I was staying back from PE earlier this week with the health kids, one of the students was reading a section on STDs, because it's what every 8th grader needs to know.  Right?  Suddenly, his hand flies in the air (an unusual occurrence for this one) and he has a panicked look on his face.  "Mrs. Heyerdahl, I have to ask you a question!" he exclaimed frantically.  "Yes?" I say calmly.  "Well, I'm reading here about AIDS and I'm really worried.  See, this girl I'm going out with (another special ed girl who he met on the bus and who goes to a school like ours one parking lot over) has kissed a lot of boys and her immune system, it's not that good.  I'm really worried that she has AIDS and that I might have it too because we've kissed a lot."  wow!  It took all that I had not to laugh or smile.  He was serious!  So, I tried to be serious.  I explained to him what AIDS is and how you get it and that most likely he and his girlfriend were in the clear.  Now, I know 8th graders are not innocent.  I know that some of them have sex.  I also realize that this is a question coming from a student who may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but seriously... I'm still saying wow!  Hilarious!  

Luckily, we only have 11 more days of this nonsense.  And yes, for those of you figuring the days out in your head, that means our last day of school is on a Monday.  ridiculous!  Four hours of baby sitting is more like it.  :-)  Ah well... I can't complain too much because then I will be getting paid for hanging out around my house, watching movies, going to the pool, reading, shopping, vacationing... and the list goes on...  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!