The Slog

I guess I am doing that thing where I work toward a deadline. I did finish (sort of) one thing last week. I passed my draft to a junior staffer and...I don't think she's going to get things very advanced. But let me try and reserve judgement for now. I am still going through my notes writing up a different report. I went to that same staffer's notes--she was the notetaker for a series of interviews--and what she has and what I have don't match. Not that they don't match, but that I can find part of the conversation or certain key words in her notes! So I had to go back to the recording. Luckily, there is an auto-transcribe feature in Word, so now I'm reading though and trying to find the missing spot from her notes to clarify what I wrote. I didn't manage last night, so I will pick up where I left off. The problem is that I spent most of yesterday distracting myself from actual work and by the time I started my investigation, it was time for dinner. 

Anyway. This is my boring life! I did manage to go on a bike ride on Monday. I really need to move around more and just leaving the house while I'm working from home is a huge effort. Actually, I went to the office on Friday. Usually I bike, but this time I took Jimmy's car (it's parked in front of mine, I never drive so my battery was certainly dead). I had some issues at the parking garage. Then the meeting I was there for was canceled. A very frustrating day--but at least I left the house!

Yesterday, was my first volunteering session of the year at the local school. The first year, I was a monitor for kindergarten lunch and recess, which I grew to love. The second year, I did math tutoring the first half of the year, and reading tutoring the second half. The math tutoring went surprisingly well--I was with the same group of 4th & 5th graders every week and we all made progress. The reading was frustrating because my original kid was not actually supposed to be in the tutoring program and after he was gone, I never had the same kids more than two weeks in a row, so it was pretty frustrating. This year, I'm going during the school day and helping in a 5th grade classroom. 

So yesterday, I got there a little early because I had no idea where to go. I did get guidance eventually, after the front office person asked several times if I were a sub. So I got to the classroom, met the teacher, watched one group of kids leave the room and then another file in. I guess the 5th grade students move between three different teachers? Odd. Anyway, class got in and settled. The teacher did not introduce me and went straight into her planned lesson. I sat in the back, patiently (sort of), for 50 minutes while the teacher taught! There were two special needs kids in the class, and one was rather disruptive, but mostly things went fine. But by minute 50 I was really wondering what the hell I was doing there! I'd put my phone away when I got there since our count has a cell phone ban in public schools, but at that point I surreptitiously texted Jimmy out of frustration. But just a couple of minutes later, the teacher gave the kids an assignment and sent three of them to the back table and asked me to work with them. I introduced myself and we got to work. All three were from Ethiopia and English was their second language. So this is why I'm there and it was good! The kids were really sweet and seemed happy to have my help. 

After class was over, I had a brief talk with the teacher. She said she will try and reorganize things to make better use of my time. I was grateful but also said she shouldn't change things just on my account. Selfishly, I hope she does! I'm only there once a week for about an hour and it would be great if we can maximize my usefulness. Any stress I can take off the teacher, I am there for! I also asked if I should move around and help with the kids, and she seemed to say that would be fine! But I think she will need to introduce me to the kids before I feel comfortable intervening with the special needs kids, but I think we'll get there. 

Grateful for: volunteering.