Mrs. Bain's Magic Has Begun

For once I'm glad the Presidental Debates are on. Not because I'm all that interested in what the canidates have to say but because it gives me a chance to be at the computer reading blogs and finally posting a new one, playing games and goofing off without missing anything new on TV.

Yesterday was my first day back at school as myself. I worked on the schedule and got list of names from the teachers so I would have an idea of who I would be working with.

Today we implemented that schedule with said students. It went pretty smoothly. Everyone was excited today to be coming to Mrs. Bain's cubby hole. I don't have an actual room to work in. It is little more than a storage area --- It is on the back of another classroom that is sectioned off with a row of tall cabinets. There isn't even a door so I hung a shower rod across the opening with some curtains and I we now have privacy.

Before you go to feeling sorry for us let me interject that the kids who come to me think this is cool -- they don't think of it as being abused and stuck in a closet. I play along with them about how special it is to have a secret room the *other* kids don't get to come into. It is off limits unless you are invited in by Mrs. Bain. In their hearts they know they are there because they are low and need extra help, but we never mention that. I just tell them that behind that curtain is where the magic happens and soon they will begin to understand. I didn't bother to elaborate on what they will begin to understand. I hope it is age appropriate math or reading. (I call it my magic because one of my fellow teacher told me when I first took this tutoring job several years ago that she expected me to work magic with the student, because nothing else had seemed to work. We had good success that year. Now I try to find the magic each year.)

Each group is only five student and we are all sitting together at a large kidney shaped table it really seems quite cozy. Who care if there are boxes of mysterious stuff sitting around the walls. No group ever gets to stay more than 30 minutes either. That helps with the no nonsense aura of the room.

I worked with my third graders over in the computer lab. We use a program called Study Island. Today we worked just on how to log onto the program. They each have to type in their name and a password. For the most part these kids are from homes without computers so there is a learning curve just to get started --- things went well and of course they were very excited to be working on the computers when their classmates were having to be in the classroom just doing that *real school stuff* as one of the little girls put it.

There were glitches of course. No schedule ever works perfectly the first day. I think we have the problems all solved. It was a good enough day that I think I'll go back tomorrow. :)

Oh, and just for the record Robert and I were up at 5:35 AM and got our 2 miles in before work both days.