Update and checking in

[Nymph]

Hi everyone!

Wow, it has been quite a while since I've been here. I hope that you all are as well as possible. I have missed you!

After spending the entire summer searching for a teaching job, I finally got one at the 11th hour. It involved a last-minute move and teaching a course for which I was not prepared (psychology - high school, in addition to US history). This is my first year teaching so I have been totally and utterly overwhelmed every day. When I am not asleep I am working, except for Friday nights/Saturdays when I lay around my apartment like a half-eaten slug.

Today I am home sick with a cold, which is why I have time to write to you. Surprisingly I have not started to flare since I started six weeks ago. ( I believe that the addition of turmeric and ubiquinol to my regimen has been very helpful.) I have had some days when my POTS acted up but was able to carry on. I do wonder if I will be able to keep this up. Time will tell. With time (as in next year) I should also be able to cut back hours to something reasonable.

The only thing I have had a problem with is my weight. I got down to 89 pounds but have been able to turn that around and am back up to 91. I really need to gain, as I've said before. It is such a struggle for me, especially with stress in my life. But as I get into a routine I can relax a little bit more and that helps.

How are you all??? Wish I could read back through all your posts. Drop me a line here to say hi because I will check!

hugs,

Nicole

[warmwaters]

Hey there! Good to hear you found a job.

Starting at a new school is always a lot of work, so grab the breaks when you can get them.  I have a friend who is a teacher who was basically a basket case from the start of school til around Columbus Day weekend, when the classes started to settle into a pattern.

[Joe S.]

Welcome back. Good luck with your new job.

[Carolina]

Dearest Nicole,

I am going to say this:  Teaching is the hardest job I ever loved, and left as quickly as I could.

It is always exhausting.  I had so many issues with my health, and did nothing but teach, pick up my son, have dinner with him and my husband and CRASH.

I learned NEVER to bring work home because I never could do it.

Teachers are saints, heroes, and have the stamina of athletes.  I could not do it.

You can never ever do enough when you teach.   I had to just get over it.  I taught High school for 6 years.

My heart goes out to you, Nicole.

Hugs,  Elaine

[meow]

Nicole, I have 26 years in the classroom. You will hit your stride. I have taught US History, AP US History, World Hist, Govt/ Econ, Geography, and Psych/ Soc.

Psych is AWESOME. Remember, it's an elective. Remember it isn't college. Give them almost no homework. Your job is to give them the basics, but PLEASE pass quickly over the biology part. Hormones and synapses and neurotransmitters are cool, but the rest is BORING. Don't spend days on how the eyeball processes images. Blecch.

They took the class because they want to know what makes people tick. What's wrong with themselves and their friends, lol. They want to know if they are normal.
A lot of them are dealing with emotional and mental health issues in their family, too. Make the class a safe place to talk about these things, and psych issues that interest them, like sleep and dreams. Have them create board games, posters, powerpoints and Wix pages. Explain why Freud was such a perv and Jung is so cool.

If they really like it, they will take it in college, and they can deal with the more technical aspects. Most of them won't.

When you teach about intelligence, have them read the original short story of Flowers For Algernon, which is available for free online. It will take about a week. Not the novel. And do NOT show them any clips from the movie "Charly."  Tie it to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, and they will be fascinated. THEY WILL CRY.

Have fun with it. It can be your breather in between US History classes, which are rigorously tested and must be highly structured. Psych is a sea cruise!

[SunshineDaydream]

Hi, Nymph. Congratulations on your new job! Good to see you back and glad to hear you are doing well (no flare!) especially in light of your recent move and demanding job.

With the change in seasons and associated weather, many people in my area are getting the sniffles and sneezes. I hope you are getting over your cold quickly.

[JoanElizabeth]

I am going into teaching. In the spring I am going to be student teaching at the elementary school level and am slightly terrified. I am glad to hear others are doing it especially with POTS! I hope you have a good year!

[Bigleyj]

Hi Nicole,

I love your sentence:
When I am not asleep I am working, except for Friday nights/Saturdays when I lay around my apartment like a half-eaten slug.

That's me too though I'm not a teacher I'm a Compliance Manager for an education provider. The paperwork side of teaching.

Hahaha you have to laugh don't you 😀

Loved your post.
Stay strong
Jo 😀

[Nymph]

Everyone, thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate you all!

Haha. Well I said I wasn't flaring but now it has started. I think that the cold set it off, because I started getting dry, and then yesterday some joints in my right hand started up. Also the brain fog. What can I say?

Meow, I LOVE your ideas! Yes, I think that the best way is to not take this course too seriously. I will look up flowers for Algernon ASAP, because we are doing Developmental right now. I don't give much HW but I do give projects, but with time to work on them in class. I think I'm also going to start an anonymous question box.

Gotta run. I have our first history unit test to give today. My low kids are already flipping out about the review HW, which of course they started the night before.

[meow]

Hi Nicole,

I love your sentence:
When I am not asleep I am working, except for Friday nights/Saturdays when I lay around my apartment like a half-eaten slug.

That's me too though I'm not a teacher I'm a Compliance Manager for an education provider. The paperwork side of teaching.

Hahaha you have to laugh don't you 😀

Loved your post.
Stay strong
Jo 😀

Hahahah, the paperwork side of teaching? Half of my day is documenting for admin that I am actually doing my job. They are more interested in that than in actual instruction.
For example, after each exam--which is scheduled by the district, over 40K students, regardless of if they are ready--- within 2 days I have to have every LEP student's unique issue with the exam they just took and write a plan to address it. The data from each test goes up on a wall in the hallway, which I have to post. I have to phone every parent of every kid who failed any of the 3 weeks between report cards, even though they get a hard copy progress report and can access their kid's grade online 24/7.

If more than 10% fail a 3wk report, I have to write out an intervention plan for admin, to address whatever it is that I did wrong.

Then I have to document each phone call in a massive database so admin can see all actions revolving around any particular kid, including At-Risk management, special ed, 504 and general classroom discipline.

This does not include lesson plans, creating powerpoints and tests based on the specific objectives that get tested in May for the state.

I teach 7 periods a day, over 200 students, with a 45-min conference period most days, unless there is a faculty meeting, a team meeting, a department meeting  or staff development. So I am on campus an hour before school and an hour after school every day, so I can grade their work---the most important data of all.

So yeah, paperwork. I can relate.

[Pete0211]

Hi Nicole! Glad to hear that you're busy, and aside from being worn out, it isn't affecting your symptoms - much, at least!

Holidays are closing in, so you should be able to get all that good family / holiday food and pick up a couple of pounds!

[Nymph]

Thanks, everyone!

Meow, that is an insane amount of paperwork! Glad my disctrict seems more relaxed, at least at the high school level. I spend most of my time writing referrals.   

Thanks, Pete. Things are still going well although I've been flaring more. It's almost break time!

[Wal]

Hello! It's always great to hear encouraging things from others. I hope your job continues to go well and you remain flare free. I'm taking Ubiniquol also and have noticed positive results. How are you using Tumeric? What exactly does it help with? Does it help eyes? That's my worst symptom.

[Nymph]

Wal, turmeric helps with inflammation generally as well as helps with pain. I do not know how much effect it would have on dryness.