This week has been crazy-busy, with graduation, a 12 hour field trip, the last days of school, etc etc.  School is out, I have to go in Monday to do my records, but all my stuff is out of there.  My two kids — Kaitlin and A — showed up during lunch on Friday after kids had left.  (They were 8th graders, so they didn’t know that school was a half day that day, as they’d already graduated).  They arrived just after I got my candle-in-a-glass-mug and $25 WalMart giftcard as a going away present, and I was thinking "What a fucking joke, the people in charge of getting me a going away present so obviously DON’T KNOW ME."  (I am sort of a running joke in the middle school for my love of Target and passionate despisal of WM.  As it is, the giftcard is just going to be regifted to the MIL for her birthday.)  And I’m sitting there, mentally rolling my eyes and tapping my toes because I just want to be DONE, and I look out the caf doors and see K&A, waving at me with a bouquet of flowers.

When I went out, they gave me the flowers by saying "We know you have allergies but we wanted you to have flowers!" and they gave me a certificate they made themselves, of lime green construction paper, with a second layer of pink, and a third of blue.

(And on the back "We forgot the E in forget but what do  you expect we went to GMS! haha")

THAT was my best award.  They were all sad that school was out, because they wanted to stay, so I said "Well, if you want to stay, you can, and I can give you a ride home if it’s okay with your mom."  They ran out to the car, and ran back in, grinning.  "We can stay!"

And they did.  They helped me until 3, when I took them home and they said "How can we visit you at the university? Do we need to call and make an appointment?" and I told them they only needed to email me if they wanted to see me, and that if they needed help with their math, to let me know. These kids? Are awesome.  I’ll toss out the card and candle and pass on the giftcard, but the flowers are on my kitchen peninsula, and the certificate will end up in my portfolio.  Because THAT’s what meant the most.

After school, we went to a bar at a bowling alley (note: a week in advance, all of the better watering holes in town had been booked by OTHER schools that were also getting out yesterday.  Apparently the last day of school is big money for barkeeps.) where I had THREE Heinekens, which is more than I’ve had all year, and I had a great time and stayed til 10:30.  At one point, we were outside so some of our group could smoke, and a parent arriving with middle school-aged kids very pointedly rushed his kids in the building while giving us the evil eye, and it just cracked me up.  Sweetie, we’re your kids’ teachers. (Well, they weren’t OUR kids, but still, I guarantee you that "teacher" would be the last occupation he’d guess of the group of us hoodlums.)  It was fun.

Now, it’s rainy and gray and cold (59!) and I cannot even believe I go to NYC on THURSDAY.  Whoo! Time has flown!  I can’t wait!

In other news, there was a job in the paper today that has me wishing it was being advertised a year from now.  This? sounds like my PERFECT JOB. SERIOUSLY.

"Position Available Technology Instructor (Technology Trainer-Mentor) As
part of a state-wide grant, the successful candidate will work with 8
school districts in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties. This
self-directed person will be responsible for training and mentoring a
selected group of teachers in those districts to integrate the latest
technology in their classrooms. This person should have some knowledge
of MLTI program. Maine’s laptop program. The position begins July 1,
2005 and is scheduled as a three-year program depending upon federal
funding. The candidate will: – receive some out of state training –
will be required to travel extensively within the two counties The
candidate must have knowledge in the following areas: – computer
applications – use of digital cameras, scanners, and other similar
technologies – in working with adult learners – Maine Learning Results
Send cover letter, resume, transcripts, and three current letters of
recommendations to:

Everything about that job sounds awesome to me.  Some out-of-state travel (that sounds cool now, prob would change if I had a kid, but for NOW, awesome), lots of rural work, MLTI and teaching adults/teachers, integration, etc etc… PERFECT JOB. I’ve decided to take it as a sign that getting my M. Ed. will pay off.  Maybe next year this position will be available for the eastern counties instead of the central ones (which would be similar travel times, despite living in Penobscot, I’m sure they mean the rural areas which are as far, or farther, than the borders of the eastern counties).  Or even Washington County, where I grew up.  I wouldn’t mind that a bit, and if I DID have a baby and had to travel up there, hellloooo built-in childcare with Grandma S. Anyway. It’s a sign.  My M. Ed will pay off, right?