Warp Speed

I reallllllllllllly don't know where my time goes during the day. It seems like I go from my feet hitting the floor to climbing back into bed -- in the space of about 5 minutes.

Holy cow.

My conference period was incredibly fascinating today. I was trying to be as productive as possible, since I knew I was going to be covering another teacher's class during the last third of the period. I made a mad dash to the copier on my way to PapaP's room. The new wrestling coach/math teacher was in there, along with another math teacher and a social studies teacher. They were discussing the merits of a teacher's having to make copies of the worksheets vs. having the print shop do it...and bind them in workbooks. WrestleMania starts blowin about how it's gotta be cheaper...but they don't even tell the teachers about the print shop. The only reason he knows is that he was in the district before. (Umm. Duh. If they don't tell teachers....then how did you find out?)

The other two teachers leave...but WM stays put to finish his copying. He's talking about how our kids lose stuff, but if a kid loses the workbook, he'd just charge them $2 to replace it.

I tell him, "We can't do that....charge a kid for a consumable workbook."
WM: "Yes, we can."
MsH: "No....it's in the Texas Education Code. Errr...the Law."
To which, he replies...."Give me any law, and I'll have you around it in 30 minutes. I always figure why tell the truth when a lie will work."

WTF???!?!?!

MsH: "Ummmm, no thanks. That's a bad idea...I'm pretty sure they'd look down on that, considering I have my principal's certification...and I'm held accountable for the TEC."

WM: "I'm lucky. I have no such compunction. "

MsH: "Um, yeah you do...it's called the Educator's Code of Ethics."

He totally and completely blows me off.

Thankful for a reason to make a quick exit, I head to PapaP's room....or I might have had an aneurysm right there. Or choked someone.

Holy crap, Batman!

I usually am not one to preach at someone....especially a colleague....but I could NOT believe the *stuff* that was coming out of his mouth. You have GOT to be kidding me.

I went to PapaP's Govt. class so he could leave to get set up for the videoconference he was doing with his AP class during 2nd period. They were joining a national program about 9/11. Way cool.

Guess who was in the class?

Yep. The Bug. (I had warned him that I would be 'visiting'.....so he'd have plenty of notice.)

I was amazed. The class was working on some worksheets when I went in...and they were silent.

Silent.

Like....you-could-hear-people-breathing Silent.

And they stayed that way...even after PapaP left. I really felt like I was in an alternate universe. I didn't even have to give anybody the stinkeye.

I gotta admit I felt somewhat unnecessary in the foodchain of life. (*grin*)

I did call one kid up to where I was grading....(GRADING!! Can you believe it?) so I could talk to him about his progress report. I've known him for several years...and he's finally decided to get his stuff together to actually graduate this year. When I saw him last Friday, he had told me he would bring the progress report by to show me...but hadn't. He coughed it up, we discussed the ready availability of tutoring...and then he went to finish his work.

At the end of class....they all put their books up in the closet. Apparently, they did a rather shoddy job of it...because Buggy felt compelled to go over and straighten them. (I think he may be somewhat OCD. I really do.) It was kinda weird. Other than our sign-language conversation where he asked for white-out, we didn't talk. It was good, though....it wasn't "I'm going to ignore you"....just "I'm handlin' my stuff.." spiffy.

The rest of the day is a blur....there was some teaching, some making fun of kids, some lunch with MyAPBuddy (She's an incredible person!!), more teaching, some fussing at Crazybrother, a computer session for teachers at an elementary school, and then back to Uberschool for Open House.

Open House was kinda fun, because although it's EXHAUSTING...you get to see some of the children you had before, and hear them tell their parents "This is my favorite teacher." It's also surprising to see the ones you had as scrawny, bigheaded freshmen, who've now turned into these Men. (But you've had your bluff in for a while...so they let you fuss at 'em without getting cranky.) *grin*

I found myself reminding several of 'em, (in front of their mamas) "I knew you when you were a bobble-headed 9th grader....don't think you're pulling anything over on me. I got your number, Mister!"

That got many...many...laughs out of the mamas who were watching.

I had a couple of mamas offer their children to me for immediate adoption...a couple give me permission to call them during class if I have "problems"....and one mom who gave me permission to duct tape her son's sagging pants...and/or blathering mouth...should the need arise.

I LOVE this place.

Now....I gotta get to sleep and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow. Granted, there won't be an Open House to keep me at school til 8:30...but I will be at the concession stand for volleyball.
The good news?
Buggy said he'd come help me. (His not having a job makes it verrrry easy to convince him to come "help me out" with projects. Especially when I'm willing to subsidize the donation of his time.) ha!

~hasta