Happy birthday to me!

Laura wasn't the only one having a birthday this past week -- so did I (it was on Friday)! And I got two very nice presents this past week: My permanent substitute teaching certificate, and the grades from my last class. The former means that no matter what happens in the future, unless I do something so horrid that the state needs to revoke my certificate, I will always be able to substitute. (And if I do something so horrid that the state decides to revoke my certificate, I probably shouldn't be in the classroom, or possibly even a member of a free society.) The latter means that, once I get my transcript, which should be soon, I can go down to the local ESD and see about getting my continuing certificate again. (Oh, and much to my surprise, I got an A.) At any rate, I'm nearing the end of the mess that that @#$% strike in Marysville was at least partially responsible for causing.

On my birthday itself, I had a little adventure. It was partly planned, but it still turned out to be a nice surprise when Laura and I were able to go to work together that day. I was substituting in a third grade class at the same school Laura and her colleagues were putting on a math game day. See, Laura works at a math store (take a look at their website here), and every once in a while, a local PTA will buy a bunch of math games from them, and the store staff comes in and shows everyone how they're played. But wait, there's more! The kids then bring in the parents that night, and the store sells some more games to go home, with the school getting a cut of the sales. Teachers also have the chance to set up a wish list of games they want for the class, and parents can help out that way as well. It's a lot of fun, and I've helped out in the evenings a few times before, but this was my first time being there as a teacher, during the day. Not only that, Laura and I got to go to work together, too, which was nice. It did make for a long day, as I stuck around after I was done teaching for the day, and I was pretty tired by the time we got home (and into the next day; after getting home from Sylvan early Saturday afternoon, I immediately crashed into bed for about three hours of badly needed extra sleep). My duties that night mainly consisted of hauling boxes out of the van and into the area set up as a store, setting the store up, being security, keeping things arranged and nicely visible, and taking things back out to the van once things started wrapping up. Biggest complaint? My nice teacher shoes are not good for one's feet when hauling boxes all evening (at Sylvan, at least, I'm sitting down most of the night). Next time this happens, I'll see about bringing a change of shoes.

So far as teaching these past two weeks, nothing too spectaculaar, although I'm finally getting some math jobs again. I actually had a pretty good time out at one of the high schools, where I got to explain some aspects of advanced algebra that I still rememeber how to do, and the kids actually appreciated that I was explaining it. I also had a day of elementary PE, which is always a nice break, lots of fun and energy going around, and I can dress down quite a bit. So far, only one job lined up for this coming week, and there may not be as many, as it's finals week at the high schools in both districts I work in -- and Thursday is the last day of the semester, and Friday is a day off for students in both districts. Maybe I'll have my transcript by then and can go down to the ESD and apply for my new certificate that day, that would be perfect.

Okay, I'm done blathering now. Hey, feel free to leave some comments, let me know I'm not typing these words for nobody!