Scary week

Well this blog is devoted to what is happening each week during my school year and really mostly meant as sort of a diary for myself about school. This week though my health clouded everything else!

Saturday I committed to attend a two day session around the norming of the new HiSET exam that Maine has selected to replace the GED exam. Educational Testing Services is flying me to Philadelphia April 27-29 to work on this all expenses included. It should be very interesting!

Saturday morning I participated in a great Social Studies teacher networking group at the Margaret Chase Smith Library and Museum in Skowhegan. About 12 of us had a great talk about the direction of Social Studies, the future of professional development for Social Studies and the Library as a resource for classroom teachers. It was really a great morning and Dr. David Richards the director of the Library was a gracious host for this event. He encouraged teachers from around the State to bring their students to the library on a field trip. It would have been nice to have more teachers, but the first "Food for Thought" sponsored by the Maine Council for the Social studies was a success!

After an ER visit on Sunday that turned out to be diverticulitis, I went to school on Monday and we discussed the Stanford Prison Experiment in Psychology that I referenced last week and, and the Great Depression in U.S. History. That afternoon we had out first Model UN simulation and started to solidify our preparation for the Conference May 16 and 17 at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. We have students participating in all committees. Most of our students will be representing China, but a few will also be representing Belgium and Zambia.

These are the committees and topics they will be working on:

I was still suffering form stomach pain and exhaustion, so I decided to stay home on Tuesday and rest on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I got up and didn't feel right all day long. It was an early release day at school, so the students went home at 11:30. In the afternoon we had time to work as a Department on teaching assignments for next year and curriculum. About 1 pm I became intensely nauseous and almost passed out. A strange wave came over me that I hope to never experience again. One of my fellow teachers called 911. After vomiting, the spell seemed to pass, but I was taken by ambulance to the Hospital where I had one more of these spells. After running countless tests and meeting with several doctors they kept me overnight for observation. This is mostly because I have a family history of heart disease and they wanted to rule out any of that. Here is where I must add, the new Maine General Hospital in Augusta is amazing! The rooms are like being in a hotel, and the Staff there was amazing! So after a day without any of the antibiotics I was taking for the diverticulitis and with me feeling great and all testing negative, the Doctor determined thought its not typical, that I had sort of an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. I researched both and found that they do indeed show intense nausea, and anxiety in about 9% of the people who take them. At this point the Doctor prescribed a different antibiotic (one I've taken before) and sent me home. She also told me to stay home on Friday and rest. So I was happy to come hom eto my family and I know they were happy to have me home. But as result, not much happened in my classes this week! I am feelin gmuch better as I type and think next week will be back to business!

The good news... I was able to get the Model UN simulation in this week! The Red Sox opened, and there are now only 2 weeks until Florida! Also great news... I got accepted into 2 different NEH Landmarks of American History programs. Next week I can announce which one I picked! Also next week we are into World War Two.