Babysitting

I am taking a break from my retirement posts to talk about babysitting.

I remember the first time I was allowed to babysit - I couldn't have been much older than 12, maybe even 11. I am an only child so I loved being around younger children - especially since I had already decided to be a teacher. I started with neighborhood kids, then by the time I was 15 I was spending the night at one of my mother's friends house - that was my favorite, because I got paid more.

One summer I worked everyday caring for my cousins. I read a lot, watched American Bandstand and cleaned everything up just before my cousin came home. One day my mother came by unexpectedly and caught me laying (lying?) on the couch, while the kids were outside -doing who knows what, and she wasn't too happy with me.

Today I am babysitting my neighbors' two kids, 3 and 5. It is only for a couple of hours and they are sitting on my bed watching Dumbo. When we go off on a trip, such as our upcoming trip to Hawaii - can't wait to meet Scott - our neighbors reciprocate by watching our dog. We have a poodle - all of 6 pounds - and he is spoiled, of course. He is an indoor dog, so they just come over daily and change his potty pads and check the food level. Do you think dogs are aware of time? I hope not. The longest we have left him is 10 days.

Retirement- Part One

For 34 years I taught school. I decided to be a teacher when I was in third grade, so I always thought I wanted to teach third grade. When I was in my senior year and had to do an observation quarter - before student teaching - it seemed that everyone wanted primary classes, so I went to an upper grade class. I don't remember which grade.

Then when I did my student teaching I was in a fifth grade as well as splitting my time with Special Education. My love had become Special Education and in the 60's the college I attended, West Georgia College, had just started a major in Sp Ed. I can remember asking my professor, Dr. DeHoop - from the Netherlands, I believe - how would I know I would be a good sp ed teacher. He advised me to try it and see and I never regretted it.

Yes, I did teach some years in the general ed program at all levels, elem, jr. high and high school. I also taught in both public and private schools and although I loved teaching in Christian schools and am grateful my one son was able to go through 8th grade at a Christian school, the opportunities were not there for sp ed.

My area of expertise was mental retardation and at the time I started the students I taught were classified (I hate that word) as Educable Mentally Retarded. When I finished my career in California that term was changed to Learning Handicapped, either Severe or Mild. I spent the last 15 years working as a Resource Specialist Teacher in an Elementary School. One of those years I spent in high school, which was a mistake. Maybe I will do a whole post on that experience. I will write more tomorrow

Reading Blogs

I checked this morning and I had saved 57 bloggers. I decided to narrow it down a bit and now I only have 33. It is remarkable I only started reading two people's blogs and following their links I just got carried away. I used to get up in the morning and after reading my Bible I would read the newspaper. Well, I never get to the newspaper, I guess I will stop my subscription.

First Post by Vonnie

Well, I am officially part of the blogger world. I have been lurking around since I went to the ACU lectureships in February, starting with Dan Dazell's blog, then Mike Cope, then too many to name. I didn't intend to write, I am not much of a writer, but in order to make a comment on some of the blogs I had to register - so here I am.