music, therapy, and me

Turns out, it's not all me... So, I've been thinking about the difficulties that I had last week. I went back into the team setting, looking at the behavior of all of the folks that I work with in that setting. While my attitude is not the best in that setting, there were other things at play. The interns did a good job of playing games. They ran around and spent lots of time interacting with students - exactly what they should have been doing the week before. It was good to see that they had decided to get involved. It saved us a talk. They still spent some time standing against the wall, but only after most kids had left the session. It was a relief that we didn't have to have "that" talk. The physical education staff is burned out. All of their interactions with students are centered around what kids are not doing right. There is very little that is positive in the gym these days. The situation is such that both the teacher and the para educator are tired of be...

Getting over myself... The self that I bring to my interactions at work is often difficult to describe. I am human and sometimes get in a snit over small things. For example, on Friday I was irked that my new interns, recovering from behavior management training, were not interacting with kids during their day. I had asked them to join the activity, and they did not. Then, I got irked because the other two "team mates" on the team, people who are supposed to be good role models, were not participating either. What a mess. So, I spent time sitting in my office eating junk for lunch. I did not address this issue with anyone but one of the team mates that I mentioned earlier. She responded, "we all have had times where we sat on our butts." I agree with that, but responded, "Not after a direct request from my supervisor." There are several things that contributed to the emergence of this particular self. I am not feeling well for no apparent reason. This is a...

And so it begins... My new interns started two days ago. I always start them off on a Friday because it is the day where I do not have to do as much therapy as Monday through Thursday. Interns arrive, get a brief tour as we turn in paperwork to HR, and then we move into Music, Movement, Art and Rhythmic Sensations (MMARS). For the next 5 hours, interns get to run around playing games with all of the students that attend school at my facility. Then, after we have played tag, sang songs, completed an art project, attempted to develop our gross motor coordination. we move into orientation. The end of the day, after I have staggered the poor things with 4 pages of assignments, the dismissal policy, and other orientation information, I always ask for questions. The interns never have any. These two have some advantages and some disadvantages. The advantages - I have had a nice long break from being an internship director. That is a good thing and something that I will schedule in from now o...

Home, sick Yesterday and today I have called in sick from work. I tend to get sick quite a bit during the course of my job - a combination of kid germs, allergies, and a predisposition to respiratory issues. What is unusual for me is the need and willingness to take two days off in a row. Needless to say, I am going to be the subject of much conjecture at work today. Taking one day off is not that unusual, but two in a row? Before a school holiday? Hmmmm. There will be some who will think that I am off on some wild adventure (HA!). Others will grump and grouse that they would have liked to have taken the time off, too. I am a firm believer in the use of sick days when they are needed. My current ailment requires me to remain in a reclining position for much of the time while battling a low grade fever. I do not know if I am contagious, but you can bet that if I am, the same ones grumping and grousing in the previous paragraph would be grumping and grousing about how I shared my germs w...