his moods keep getting in the way.

sometimes, I feel I don't belong. I've never been fully accepted by any clique. I've always been in the periphery. I don't really have anyone whom I can count on. I doubt everyone, even my husband. he wants to be even tempered and kind, but his moods keep getting in the way.

teacher in a psychiatric center. It's hard to say good bye

She told you she was scarred by life’s betrayals

She begged you to listen

And not to say, “I understand”

Because you can’t..

And because you don’t.

 

 

She said sometimes she felt she was living in an abyss

And there was no way out.

Please don’t say, “I can identify”.

You’ve not walked in her shoes.

 

She told you everything you wanted to hear

Except what she really felt

Lest you began to judge her

Or whispered “She’s not normal.”

 

Kept still though you doubted her words

Her eyes spoke to you

“I’ll be fine. Let it go.”

The expert of self-deception

 

 

You spotted her skipping down a road

Filled with tomorrows and days ahead

But, years of impulsivity wore her down

No surprise, she disappointed.

 

 

Too many times she’s sought advice

“But they all read from “scripts”.

 Maybe it’s ‘cause she didn’t hear

 What she wanted to hear.

 

 She’s found a guide, who recovered

 From her own hell, and brought

 concern for a world outside herself.

Two steps forward, one step back.

‘Til forward wins the race.

 

 Real friends, an education, determination

 Root for her as she “Passes go’

 And collect the rewards well earned

 Small steps pulled her down

 Small steps will bring her up.

 

 

 

Be Careful What You wish for....

Be Careful what you Wish For...
I had wished for a competent ed. supervisor who was knowledgeable about working with Psychiatrically impaired adolescents, who would support teachers and have compassion for the long hours we work.  Instead, we got an ego who wants the teachers to do his tasks and rule our roost the way he sees best, so he can look good in the eyes of the State. He considers us a "school" , not a "school within a hospital." can't in and he struts like he knows what he doesn't.. Wishin' on a star!

"putting a dog to sleep" Our Golden Retriever Mickey

Why do they call it sleep? Who are we to say when a dog is ready? I guess it depends not on his quality of life because that comes from the owner of the dog or the vet/ Maybe the dog doesn't want to die. My mother had cancer and though the Hospice nurses and oncologist gave her no hope, she still had it and as long as he was alert, to her family she was a person. It is never time to say good-bye.
Please, Mickey, rally..

Liar!!!!! What a kiss up does to keep her job..

... always say, "Yes" to your supervisor even though the task you are  being asked to do is not within your tasks and standards.
bring him home cooked meals
Tell him how handsome he looks in his hat
tell him he is the most intelligent man you've ever met

report cards to students in psychiatric hospitals?

Strengths, Weaknesses

 

We are not teaching the same curricula in any subject areas as schools within a district. Upon what would the numerical grades on report cards be based? With what other children could we compare a child’s achievement or progress in any content area? How do we know how much they gained if are not continuing to scaffold education based upon what he was studying before hospitalization? We have no baseline with which to measure progress. Furthermore is it fair to assign numeric grades based upon achievement in an in-patient facility? We teach psychiatrically impaired patients.  I think grading our kids, would be best if we stay with a therapeutic model. It would be more realistic and helpful to avoid numeric grades and benchmarks of achievement, but offer narratives or comments based upon interpersonal development, behavior, ability to stay on task, level of engagement, self control, attitude, and strengths and weaknesses.  After all, how could we pass or fail a psychiatric patient because he is not stable enough to be in school? Anyway, he/she is not studying the exact subject matter as his cohorts in public schools? Would we grade a dancer who had broken a bone in the same way we would grade a performer in perfect physical health?  I think if we stressed to guidance counselors that we are not a school district;  therefore, any grades we give are not transferable. We could instead send a report card

Too Old to achieve Greatness

It doesn't matter how well I age, but lots of people my age and younger seem to listen to the voice of youth rather than the voice of knowledge from experience and research.
At least, I'm becoming resigned that I will never achieve greatness.