Word of the Day: Exhausted!

I am in Mechanicsburg, PA for my new hire training for Agora.  It's been a long day, and my brain is exhausted!  I got here at 9 this morning after an hour's drive.  It didn't start till 10 but I left early because I didn't know how traffic was going to be.  So I put gas in my car and by the time I went back, it was 9:30 and lots of people were going in.  I was pretty nervous, because I had received so many emails from the HR person about paperwork to bring and they all said, "If you don't have this paperwork, we will not be able to hire you."  Then on Friday afternoon, I got another email from him with a letter attached from the "head of school" which I guess is like the superintendent, that included my [vague] job description and responsibilities, and I had to sign saying I got it, and as I was reading the first part of the letter again, it listed a bunch of things they needed like copies of my clearances and certification, which I already emailed to them, and then as almost an after-thought, it said, "You will also need a physical form."  And it said that this letter super ceded any verbal or written agreement that has been made prior to this.  Well, no one had mentioned anything about a physical, and now it is too late to get one by Monday morning so I emailed the HR guy and asked if that was needed by Monday and never got a response, so instead of being calm and excited, I was scared they weren't going to hire me and turn me away or at the very least that I was going to be embarrassed that I didn't have all my paperwork.  Well, I go into the room where we are going to have our general session and I'm sitting with a few other people and a lady from Insperity (the company that handles our paychecks and benefits) comes by asking for the new hire paperwork.  As we are getting out the packets, the lady next to me asked if she needed "this" which was a "Standard Teacher Application" for Pennsylvania and she was told no, that was something from Agora, and she didn't need that.  So, now I'm freaking out MORE because I didn't print out an application. (I had to fill it out to apply for other jobs and I have a copy saved on my computer, but didn't remember being told I needed one for Agora).  So I look at my letter again from the head of school, and sure enough, in the middle of the list of copies of stuff that they need, is "Standard Application" blah blah blah.  I just missed it because I was reading too quickly!  So I say to myself, "AHHH!"  Now I really AM missing paperwork...great!  Well, my first session is about benefits and paperwork, and the HR guy who had been sending all the emails was there, so at the end, I went over to him and handed him my letter and said I didn't notice about the Application (and didn't even get to the physical) when he said, "Don't worry about it."  Whew!!!  Talk about a load being lifted!  I could finally relax! I had my picture taken for my ID right before lunch, then after lunch I had a session where I got my laptop and set up my email, then the last session was information about the induction program and virtual training.  Every new employee at Agora is required to go through a 10-month induction program, which means we have a mentor, create a portfolio, and are required to answer a journal reflection question once a month.  In June we "graduate" and get a certificate.  This is actually a requirement to get my Instructional II certificate, which is my permanent certificate.  And then she showed us the website where we will have all our online trainings for K12.  It was a long day and tomorrow will be even longer because we start earlier!  (8:30-4) Wednesday is 8:30-3.  Tomorrow is more general info and Wednesday we will be in our departments, and hopefully I'll find out what exactly I'm teaching!  Apparently nobody knows any specifics.  One person was told what grade she was teaching because she's not going to be here on Wednesday, so I'm assuming that is when we'll find out!

We have a full-time crawler now!  Up until today, Gabe would switch between army crawling and hands-and-knees crawling, and when I was talking to Tim this afternoon, he said he is staying up all the time now.  We got a play yard gate that is a hexagonal shape and gives him 18 sq. ft of play space.  Sometimes he fusses because he wants out and we do play with him outside of it, but it is nice to have a place to put him and all his toys where we know he can't get in to anything.  Sometimes, if he's just sitting by gate, looking out, Tim will sing, "Nobody knows..." You know from the etrade commercials with the talking baby who is being punished in his crib for riding the dog?  He says that's what it reminds him of...haha.  Only 10 days until his 9-month appointment!  I can't believe it!  Still no teeth yet...but I have given him Cheerios, which he still doesn't know how to put in his mouth, but he likes them.  He makes a very serious, questioning face while he's working on gumming it or figuring out what to do with it, and sometimes he looks like he gags as he swallows it, but then he just smiles, and gurgles like he's so happy.  I will have to try to video him when I get back. 

Well, I think it's time for me to relax now.  I have a couple of things that I was told to make sure I have on my work computer, then it's time to do nothing!  I can't wait! :-)