Notes

 My hearing date has been set for October 28th.  Do I expect a positive outcome to my grievance?  I do not.  After all, we are living in West Virginia and residents of this state have not proven themselves to be trustworthy or especially honest. I fully expect the establishment to win, but that doesn't mean I am not worthy of a fight.

Luckily, I take meticulous notes and maintain copious amounts of documentation. As soon as I was approached about becoming a full-time employee, I have created a lot of every conversation involving promised salary etc. I know who said exactly what and when it was said. I don't think it will move the needle, but the blatant dishonesty should make the Board members uncomfortable.

Sigh.  I hate all of this. I find it demeaning and demoralizing. 

This weekend I'm going to do my best to disconnect from the work frustrations and just focus on having fun with my family. I'm thinking we need to decorate for Halloween!  Whatever I end up doing, I hope to come back on Monday in a better headspace than I feel this morning.

 

Blatant Incompetence

 I am beginning day 41 of working without knowing my salary, and the situation is turning from ridiculous to infuriating. I find myself seething with rage when I am working across the table from blatantly incompetent teachers whose position and salary have both been solidified, not through education and experience but through the WV Good Olde Boys system. In the meantime, I have been nominated as tribute to be the pawn in a Battle Royale between Special Education and HR. 

Who will win? At this point, it has become blatantly obvious that I will emerge at the bottom.  I'm angry!

My anger at the County is starting to infect my views on everybody who works within this system.  Thankfully the weather is favorable. I still love working with the kids- it is just every other adult in the buildings whom I want to avoid.

 

First Day

 Yesterday Robby had his first official day at work.  I was delighted ( and a little surprised) that he thought to send me a photo before officially clocking in. I was also touched that he brought a dozen donuts with him to share with his new co-workers. He remembered my telling him that my Dad, his Candy Papaw, taught me to always be the employee to bring donuts to the office. My Dad encouraged me to do this throughout my career because he swore that it provided an internal protection against the backstabbing and sniping that often occurs within offices. After all, it is hard to throw the person who brings donuts under the proverbial bus.  

He brought the donuts, even though he barely remembers my Dad. My heart leapt with an unexpected joy when he shared his intentions. I know my Dad would have been absolutely delighted!

While Robby had a great day at work, mine continues to frustrate me in unexpected ways. I love working with the kids, but the payroll/administrative issues are beginning to wear me down. It is October 6th. I have been working since August 14th, yet I still do not know my salary.  Yesterday I was forced to file an official grievance, which left me gutted. 

I love my job working directly with the kids, but I am growing to hate everything else. The administrative red tape feels designed to entangle and trap. With each day I am feeling more detached and less resolved to stay and work for a solution.  I breaks my heart, but I have begun to send out applications for contract opportunities. The school year is 25% over next week, and this should have been resolved when the contract was issued!

 

Archivist

 Robby called us on Friday with some amazing news. After successfully completing his required 25 hours of archival volunteer work, he was offered a student paid internship for the remainder of the year. To have received his first job in a position directly within his professional interests is amazing. 

He thoroughly enjoyed his time at the archives and found himself quickly encompassed by whatever task was his focus. Not only did he find the tasks interesting, but he discovered that he really liked his coworkers. A combination of young graduates and students, the archive is a hub of historians and those who value its preservation. Perhaps more than the experience and the money, Robby is delighted to be spending more time with this group of individuals.

Congratulations Robby, the newest intern archivist on campus!

Aside from celebrating Robby's new professional accomplishment, our weekend was relatively boring. I spent Saturday and most of Sunday puttering around the house, cooking and cleaning in anticipation of the week ahead. Scott delighted with the return of both football and hockey seasons. Timmy has been busying himself with his newest obsession: computer chess.  

Have a great week. 

 

Joking Reveal

 While I am not hiding my prosthesis at work, I do make an effort to keep it concealed in professional settings. When I am in schools, I want the focus to be on my students and not on their one legged teacher. Inevitably we are swarmed by curious eyes when my prosthesis is visible. I'm usually very open to these teachable moments, but not at the expense of my student's comfort and instructional time.

Yesterday, when I arrived to work with a student I found him outside at recess. Instead of interrupting play time, I stopped to chat for a few minutes with his one-on-one instructional assistant. This young man reminds me of Robby. He is 22, a little awkward with a really big heart. I enjoy chatting with him because I always leave with the same impression: He is so young and I am so old.

The aide strolled over to me with a look of mischief on his face. My mom-radar was on high as I knew something was coming.  I asked him how he was doing, and he began his rehearsed shtick.  

"Well Miss Peggy, I'm not doing too good."

    Oh no! What's going on?

"Well, I'm not feeling too good. I was mowing the lawn this weekend and I ran over my feet. See my feet?"  

He proceeds to point to his feet, upon which he is wearing skeleton Halloween shoes. He then begins to snicker and asks me if I understand his joke, pointing to his shoes in a cartoon like fashion.

I stood quiet for a moment as I tried to figure out what to do. I quickly realized that I was friendly enough with this young whippersnapper show him how it is done.

"I'm sorry about your feet. Looks like I'm not the only one left without a leg to stand on." 

I pulled up my pant leg, exposing my prosthesis.

This adult kid's jaw hit the playground mulch as he processed what he was seeing. He stammered both apologies and astonishment as we have worked together for almost a year without him realizing. I'm not going to lie, I worked hard on my gait and it feels good to know that my limp is undetectable to most.  I assured him that I was joking and not insulted, and walked away like a boss.

 

     

Beautiful Weather

 Yesterday was an easy way to ease back into the work week. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Where last week I was trotting around in the rain, yesterday I was working under bright blue skies in 70 degree air. It was perfect! (As a bonus, none of my students complained about walking outside with me.)

I came home from work, finished some paperwork before heading outside to enjoy the firepit with Timmy. He spent the night swinging and riding his bike through the neighborhood. I am amazed that he has logged nearly 2,000 miles since receiving his new bike in April. I guess any doubt on whether or not he would like it has been answered.  

Today the weather should be just as favorable. It should be a good one! 

Relaxed

 I had a great weekend relaxing and hanging out with my Mom. While we didn't tackle anything on her constantly growing to-do list, we did go shopping and eat out most of our meals. I was delighted to find a sale on the 'perfect' work shirt and I grabbed one in every color. I felt like I hit the lottery with both the design and the price. (It seems that I am easily excited as I become older.)

Unfortunately I had to head home earlier than I would have preferred in order to get ahead of the encroaching storm. I was sad to leave, but I also left well-slept, well-fed and ready to tackle the week ahead. I guess there is just something about being with Mom that makes everything feel better!

This week won't be too busy and, with the cooler weather, it should not be physically taxing. Hopefully the weather and my schedule will align, making this a great week to end September.  Have a great day!