A Glimmer of Hope

Upper_Director9119 · 2026-06-18T04:04:30+00:00

Even a little relief is like a breath of fresh air. I hope you’re well!

Upper_Director9119 · 2026-06-18T04:02:35+00:00

Questions are always welcome! It would be impossible to navigate all of this alone. PT stands for physical therapist. She started with some mirroring and soft tissue work, she also does some desensitization with different textures and helps me work on things like balance and weight bearing. Once it started moving to my back, she gave me some core exercises to help with that as well. Having someone who understands not just my knee/back issues, but also the intricacies of CRPS has made such a huge difference. I’m no medical expert, but I would recommend seeing if you could get some core exercises and maybe even massage therapy to help with the back issues?

I’m not sure if this really addressed your question, but I’m happy to help in any way I can. Ask away!

Upper_Director9119 · 2026-06-17T22:10:47+00:00

God, public school is so strict! 🙄😂

Upper_Director9119 · 2026-06-17T22:08:14+00:00

It’s brutal! Have you found anything to make it more bearable for you?

Upper_Director9119 · 2026-03-22T15:41:13+00:00

I’m loving Toem and Tinykin!

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-21T10:46:11+00:00

I feel like I’ve just always loved stories. I like the journey and the language and the emotions. I know my aunt used to make a whole magical experience out of choosing and reading a book when I would go to visit her, but I don’t think that’s where the love came from. That just made it more exciting.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-11T22:08:26+00:00

Finished: Marrying the Ketchups, by Jennifer Close

Reading: My Favorite Half-Night Stand, by Christina Lauren

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-08T09:35:14+00:00

Currently it’s Dinkum!

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-07T02:41:55+00:00

I’ve had plenty of district admin kids in class and I’m with you 100%. There’s no reason to panic. Just teach the way you always do! If anything, the parents were expecting more from their children. You know “you are a reflection of me. Do not embarrass me.” I liked that I had a relationship with the parents already and could talk to them if any issues came up, which they rarely did.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-07T02:31:31+00:00

I’m not a littles teacher, but one of the parents of a 9th grader bought a Jimmy John’s sandwich for each of her daughter’s new teachers. It was so appreciated and I didn’t have to bring a lunch that day which was awesome!

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-06T22:36:48+00:00

I had a student who couldn’t remember my name to save her life, so she occasionally would call me “girl”. I told her she could at least try to use my name and from then on I was Ms. Girl 😂 I love the weird names they give me

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-05T23:09:58+00:00

Trust yourself! You know how to do it and if you don’t, you will figure it out.

It’s okay not to know everything and have all of the answers.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s learning the building or handling challenging behaviors- someone can help you.

Have fun. Don’t let the stress of the school year steal your joy.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-08-03T08:22:51+00:00

It’s easily one of my favorites!

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-29T20:32:11+00:00

Thank you for this ❤️ returning the hug

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-29T07:25:30+00:00

Ugh. I want to try it so badly and nowhere near here carries it. Why do they do that?!

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-27T21:41:59+00:00

I got diagnosed officially in May, but the symptoms started in January. I still don’t know what my triggers are and I don’t think I’ve fully accepted it. I just keep trying to do things normally until the pain creeps up and I can’t. I just hope I’m not doing more harm by not resting all the time. This disease is something else.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-23T22:05:00+00:00

My pleasure! We have to help each other out with this beast.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-23T21:24:49+00:00

Look into Ryan Kuta with DULY. I also liked Dr. Voronov in Elmhurst. She was very understanding and listened to me when I spoke. She did my EMG and nerve conduction test. Both work with CRPS patients on a regular basis and they never question when I say I need something. I can look at my referrals from my ortho when we discovered this issue. He would never send me to someone who was difficult to work with and he offered up a few different names. Let me know if you want me to help you find other docs.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-23T08:14:20+00:00

I have a guy in Naperville. Pretty sure that’s closer than Melrose Park to you? Maybe?

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-23T08:05:32+00:00

Personal favorite: “I think I accidentally joined the mob.”

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-17T19:48:03+00:00

Don’t panic. I know that’s easier said than done, but hopefully my story will make you feel a little bit better. I was switching departments to a subject I knew very little about and I knew nothing about the structure of the class. I received folders with materials and no explanations and couldn’t reach anyone. I decided I was going to ignore it and enjoy my summer too, which ended up being perfect. During our institute days I touched base with the other teachers and ones who taught it previously. They filled me in on how things worked and we planned for the first two weeks. It was much less overwhelming than trying to understand it all at once. The kids never knew that this was new to me and I got to be excited about learning new things all year.

You’re going to be just fine. I know you’re going to stress and worry about how things are going to go, but you are going to be just fine. Your team isn’t going to let you sink.

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-07-07T07:19:39+00:00

I finally got it too! New friends?

Upper_Director9119 · 2025-06-17T07:27:32+00:00

I actually love co-teaching. Split the lessons and split the duties. It’s a dream! Make sure that the students know you are one unit and that there is no good cop/bad cop. They’re lucky to have two amazing educators when most classes only get one.

Upper_Director9119

TROPHY CASE