2nd Week of January

MONDAY
One week down, a million or so to go before spring break... I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
My New Years' resolution was to NOT stop at Starbucks every day before work. I am a responsible adult who can manage to have a responsible-looking bank account, and I will not waste my money every morning when I can make drip coffee in my classroom. Resolution Report for last week: NO Starbucks stops! (Hurray!)

TUESDAY
I just saw a preview for the new movie “Tooth Fairy.” I’m shocked. I can’t believe that Mary Poppins (Fraulein Maria, her Majesty the Queen of Genovia) would actually agree to be in a movie with The Rock, especially a really dumb movie in which she wears tooth fairy wings. She can’t possibly need the money, and The Rock doesn’t usually do musicals… I’m just so confused by this. Gone is the world of my youth…


WEDNESDAY
6:45 – arrive at school, make coffee, write agenda on white board, drink coffee
7:00 – return emails from 13 people, post graduate school assignment to discussion board, email best friend in Iraq, check library account for book on hold (no fines! Yay, me!)
7:59 – greet first homeroom students
8:10 – enjoy a few moments of blissful silent reading in homeroom
8:12 – forget to read the morning announcements AGAIN
8:38 – remember to read announcements in the last 2 minutes of homeroom
8:45 – lecture noisy first class about not using their student planners
9:45 – answer phone call from frantic building rep at old middle school while pausing in the middle of important prewriting activity with students
9:55 – call afternoon sub
9:57 – continue leading activity in first class
10:20 – second class: rinse, repeat (quieter kids, but less willing to volunteer answers)
11:35 – crazy sub arrives, acts offended because I don’t stop my class to talk to her, sits in my chair (I hate that…)
11:45 – crazy sub tries to take papers out of my hand while I’m referring to them in front of the class
11:55 – send kids off to lunch, write sub plans in 10 minutes while crazy sub looks over shoulder asking if they’re done yet
12:05 – print sub plans, give to crazy sub, ask if crazy sub understands the lesson plans, have minor stroke when crazy sub asks what an “essay” is, successfully refrain from screaming when crazy sub pretends to be expository essay expert after I start explaining
12:10 – stop by office to request administrator check-in on hyper afternoon class, warn secretaries about crazier-than-you-can-imagine craziness of crazy sub
12:30 – arrive at old school for meeting with new principal of old middle school
2:45 – finally end meeting with new principal of old middle school
3:30 – see long-time friend in hallway, get soothing hugs and wonderful catch-up conversation
3:45 – leave old middle school for other middle school
4:00 – arrive at other middle school for union meeting (have now spent time at all three district middle schools in same day)
6:45 – leave union meeting to go home
7:00 – collapse into chair and begin working on graduate school assignment (due tomorrow)
8:15 – start working on next graduate school assignment (also due tomorrow)
9:45 – finish assignments
9:50 - stare into fridge in attempt to find something to take for lunch tomorrow
9:53 – abandon hope of finding lunch in scary fridge
9:55 – go to bed
9:58 - hope it’s not like this tomorrow


THURSDAY
Interrupted weird 7th grade fake fight in pod, wrote 2 referrals (my first at this school), lectured students about pod behavior, spent almost 2 hours after school writing sub plans, nearly fell asleep (or unconscious?) while writing sub plans, think I’m running a fever, going home to collapse into bed and never get up


FRIDAY
*feverish –and therefore NOT restful -- sleep*
*hacking and coughing*


WEEKEND
ditto