TGIF

Hey Kate, how was your day?

 

Well, it was a little rough.  In fact, it seems like everyone has lost their ever-loving minds, to tell you the truth.

 

No way.  It couldn't have been that bad, could it?  And don't you just love high schoolers?

 

Well, you tell me.  In fact, let's make a list, shall we?

 

1. I was assigned an intern.  Of all the interns that never showed, mine was the one intern who actually did.  On a Friday. At 8:00 a.m.   Note: I have no class at 8:00 a.m.  Insert awkward conversation.
2. The teacher across the hall from me (a history teacher/coach) did NOT show up today. Nor did he have a sub. Nor did the history department feel they needed to handle his classes. So at the beginning of 2nd period, one of the other history teachers came in to me, while I'm teaching, and said, "Hey, can you just watch Coach So-and-So's class for me? They're in there, just keep an ear out and make sure they're not too loud." EXCUSE ME?  Last I checked, it is never a good idea to leave a classroom full of students all alone. The intern looked at me and said, "Um, does this happen very often?"  I told her I couldn't even talk about it right then.
3. There was a fight in the girls bathroom during 1st period. Now, don't get me wrong.  I can't list this as a negative, because Sawyer had to go break it up, and did so by screaming at the literal top of his lungs from the doorway, "HEY! STOP THAT S*** AND GET YOUR A**ES OUT OF THERE!"  Apparently the girls were so startled and embarrassed that they literally did stop and come out, and I haven't quit laughing over the idea of this since Sawyer told me that from his classroom, it sounded like twenty lemurs scrapping it out over a bowl of fruit.  I did have to list this, though, as an example of how people have lost their minds.
4. The teacher down the hall (also history) lets about 10 kids just leave her class every period, and they run down the hall screaming, hitting each other, pushing each other down, etc. until I have to go into the hall and give them all a good tongue-lashing.  On top of that, she also manages to show at least one movie a week.  Hmmmm...
5. One of my students, a varsity football player, decided that he should get his phone out during 2nd period today.  Note: It is against school policy to do so, and I am required to take his phone and turn it in to the principal.  This is not a surprise. When I attempted to take it, he told me, "No, Ms. Jackson. I'm not giving this to you. It's game day." Um, what? I'm sorry, is it now an option to do what the teacher says?  I promptly wrote him up, while he calmly waited, and sent him to the office with 2 offenses - using the phone in class, and refusing to give me the phone.  The principal will do jack squat about it, especially because the kid is a football player, so I completely wasted my time. But disrespect is disrespect, and call me crazy, I can't stand it.
6. By the time I got to 4th period, I was expecting a small respite, because it's a small class of all girls.  Of course, that was just too much to ask, as several of the girls came in squabbling about a boy, and the rest attempted to choose sides.  At this point, I told them to shut their mouths, take their quizzes, and gave myself a break.  We headed outside to do their free write, and I sat in the grass, soaking in the sun and the breeze and doing deep breathing activities.

 

So yes, today really was as bad as it seemed.  Aren't you glad you asked?