Today I stopped into the daycare at Gethsemane Lutheran Children's Ministry, where one of my administrators takes her daughter. I was very comfortable with the facilities and liked the teacher-to-student ration (2:8 or 10). I especially liked that when we walked in, both teachers were holding babies and sitting on the floor with the other (awake) babies around them. It's also about five minutes from school. It is $25 to get on the waitlist, and they have openings in August, so I am relieved to have one good option.
We also had childbirth class #2 this evening. It focused on relaxation techniques and drug-free pain coping techniques, which I really appreciated. Next week we learn about medical pain intervention.
This week is a big one--Robin is getting the second unit ready for an open house on Saturday, and amidst the stress of prepping my kids for TAKS (the big state accountability test) in two weeks as well as TELPAS rating (a very time-consuming responsibility that pops up every year at the very worst time), my classroom will be opened to participants in the NABE (National Association of Bilingual Education) Conference that is being held in Austin on Thursday. While I was originally told that this observation would be during a very reliable class and 10 minutes long--a breeze--it has now been switched to my worst behaved class and will be 25 minutes long. (This may not seem like a lot, but when there are 5-10 strangers sitting and watching you and your already volatile students, 25 minutes has the potential to be an eternity. I think I am going to bribe the kiddies with cupcakes.) All of this paired with my growing desire to just stay at home and get ready for the baby is not putting me in a very good mood. On the upside, the people I work with are throwing me a baby shower on Friday, so that should be a fun end to the week!
That's so great that you found a good daycare option! We are currently on four waiting lists, and the only one with openings was our least favorite. :( I just have to try to be confident that it will all work out in the end!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your observation--you'll do great. Besides, educators know the difference between bad teaching and kids acting up!