Are there any teachers here?

I'm also one of those that teach the hormoneily insane (however you spell it!) I teach math at our 6-8th grade middle school. But I get to teach in beautiful southwest Washington state. I am also the math department chair and building rep for our union. I am responding to your post mostly because my first year teaching was on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. That was 15 years ago though. The school was about a mile down Wolf Creek Road on the right hand side. I don't think it is a school anymore. I love math, and this is the first year of my 15 that I will get a full plate of all math classes. I have always had to pick up the overflow of other classes. I have taught just about everything in just about any setting. After Pine Ridge, where I taught all subjects to a class of 5th-11th graders, I went back to where I had student taught, the tropical island of Puetro Rico. I taught 6th grade there for two years, then up to their middle school for math plus yearbook. From there I went to an Oregon grade school and taught a 4th/5th split class. Then to their middle school. Then I spent 3 years teaching in a youth correctional facility in Oregon. I taught in the resource room there. Finally this is my 5th year in Washington state. Summer's off - that's a joke. I have done so many conferences, classes, and clock hours in the summer I can't even tell how many. I earned a Master's in Special Education, and last summer I started the National Board Certification process. Although I sent everything in back in March, I still await my results, which are supposed to be posted in November. Talk about timely feedback! Well, I'm taking this summer off--oh that's right, I'm having surgery on Friday. I have spent June and July researching surgeon's, fighting my insane insurance company, and asking question to anyone who would listen and respond. Foever the learner, Denise

Hello Denise, I teach at Loneman in Oglala. I taught two years at Wolf Creek (five miles east of Pine Ridge), one year at Pine Ridge, and will be starting my third year at Loneman. I have an extra duty contract to be SPED coordinator for the Middle School. I will be starting to get my masters in SPED this spring semester. Loneman is going to pay for it (that we will have to see). I am from Northern California and was to Oregan and Washington. It is so beautiful out there. I move to Nebraska 25 years ago and to north west Nebraska 14 years ago. Being a teacher is my second career. I am having surgery Friday also. Three hernias and a peri-rectal abscess repair. I had my RNY 1-31-06 and am down 90 lbs and feel great. Haven't had too many problems and the one I have experience are a breeze compared to what my life was before wls. I will keep you in my prayers. Please let me know how everything turns out. God Bless, Cathy

I'm a Resource Specialist in A****er California. I teach K-6. I'm 6 years from retirement....YES! I find things get more and more stressful every year so retirement and perhaps starting something new is something I look forward to. I'm 5 years out from WLS and I've maintained my current weight for almost two years. Anyway...just thought I'd chime in and let you know I'm here too. I check this board time to time and there rarely is anything new. Christy

Hi, never saw this board before and am not sure I will find it again. I am also a special ed teacher for 3,4,5. pull out program. mild moderate and severe profound. I am located in Frederick Ok. Near the Red River. Right now my case load is down I have about 18 kids, but at one time I had 47 but could only claim 40. Lea Ann

Hello! It was nice to find this teachers' board here. I retired three years ago after teaching German, English and ESL at the high school level post-secondary level for almost thirty years. I wish I could tell you that I have been enjoying every single day of retirement, but I have a number of health issues. These have made me more sedentary, and consequently I have put on even more weight. So I am looking forward to the WLS some time in the near future. With some weight off, I hope to get moving more and enjoy my free time. I am amazed to see that so many of the respondents here are in special education. That is certainly a field that is in demand, but it would be great if school districts would give extra days off to special ed. teachers because it is extra difficult! I wish all of you the very, very best. Here is a suggestion to get you through tough times during the school year: Write down the most gratifying things that students have ever said to you in a journal. When you have an especially difficult day, pull that out and read it for a few minutes before you head home so you can remember exactly why you are doing what you do so well. Joyce F.

Hello!  I am very new to this Obesity help website.  Loving it so far!  I am a first grade teacher in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia area.  I am getting the lapband next week and am really nervous to leave my kids for a week.  This is my first full year teaching and I'm not sure about writing a whole week of plans and leaving someone else with my students. UGH!  I'm sure life will go on. :)