We have a teacher workday today, which is an excellent opportunity to lesson plan and get organized. Of course, mine is almost over and I have spent the last four hours creating a QuoteBoard (something that I wasn't even planning to do), but it could have been an excellent opportunity to lesson plan. So now I have to (pretend that I am going to) lesson plan on Saturday.

Meeting with parents is such a mixed bag. I have the parents that think their kid is a genius and should be in gifted classes, but really their kid is just obsessed with questioning everything for the sake of being annoying. I also have the parents who take one look at the report card and get a wild "I'm gonna spank the hell outta him when I get home" gleam in their eye and make me feel bad. Then I have the "I'm a single mom at the end of my rope and how can we help him but no I can't bring him early and no I can't let him stay late and did you know that he stole my car and you see by my screaming, yanking on my shirt-sleeve out of control toddler that I have my hands full and can't really be bothered with him anymore because I have more kids and I give up" parents. Then there are the blessed "I don't want to take up too much of your time" parents who understand that I don't care to hear a life story and only want their signature on the report card. Bless them, bless them, bless them.

I have the most difficult time staying put on workdays. Every fiber of my being wants to run out of here even though I still have an hour to go.   ¶ 2:17 PM

  I watched the debate last night. It is the only one I watched-- which is okay because I am not exactly standing on the fence as to who I am going to vote for. The only comment I want to make is that I sure am glad to hear that education has all the money it needs and that Bush didn't underfund us. Man, is that a relief. That silly Kerry, thinking we may need more. So I guess when my students ask me why we don't have enough books for everyone and when I am working my second job, I can be comforted by the fact that we really do have all the money we need. We're all set. Whew.

In unrelated news, the two janitors at my school are feuding. It is a real Hatfield and McCoy kind of situation (there is a great YA book about the Hatfields and McCoy's called "Coffin Quilt"--FYI). I tutor from 7am-8am in the mornings, so I am here earlier than everyone-- aside from the janitors. I am driven crazy every single morning by the fact that the two of them cycle in and out of my room, asking me about the weather, my health, etc. all in a thinly guised attempt to make me ask them about their health and lives. I don't mean to be unfriendly, but I get up at the butt-crack of dawn to get stuff done because I don't have time to stay afterschool, on account of my second job. Plus, they are rural Southerners, and I usually can't understand a word they say. Plus plus, one of them literally asks me the same two questions every single day. He has the memory retention of a goldfish, apparently, and I just don't have time for that.

So, for the last week, they have been feuding about some graffiti found in the bathroom. They cycle in and out of my room, watching the door to see that the other can't hear and give me their sides of the story. The elder janitor maintains that the younger "don't keep his watch, ma'am, don't....keep....his....watch!" The younger asserts that "that 'ol man always fussin' murmur murmur...something...fixin' to....anyhow!" And all the while, I stare longingly at the white board that I got up early to be able to fill with wonderful information and the minutes tick away. I can't escape them. And when I have gotten a little abrupt or even just simply said, "You know, I actually kind of have to do this or that", they sniff a bit and look very put out, as though I think I am just soooo high and mighty.

School politics are complicated.

  ¶ 7:04 AM

  I let my students do periodic evaluations of me and I thought I would share some of their answers.

To the question, "The way I feel in Ms. R's class is usually ________________", the answers included:

tired
confident
over-excited [???]
bored
varies [student with a good vocabulary]
uncomfortable
happy
weird sometimes because we do things I have never done before
calm
she is very fun to be around [student clearly did not read the question]
it is almost lunch time [no, it wasn't]
pleasant
confused
[and my favorite:]
FREE

When I asked them for their advice about how I could improve, I got the following suggestions:

"Except for that you take away gameday time for no reason or if a person is simply throwing away a trashball or if that they need a pencil and talk to the neighbor to have it you are the best teacher. Ever."

"Don't ever be mean."

"No advice except make class more fun or something."

"I think I need to have you for my last class so in my other class I can be happy because when I get in your class you made me mad."

"Keep up the fun good work."

"You are originality and thinking out side my box." [and there is a picture of a lightbulb]

"If this class was a little bit funner than it is and listen to what other peoples say and can you move the desks I don't like sitting here."

"When I raise my hand to asks a question you don't call on me so I shout out and that how I always get on behavior board. You are the best teacher."

"Use more than one method of teaching. We have a lot of different learners. Respect us a little more because you did the very first day but then after that you decided what you thought of us. Subconciously."

"Bring more girls to this class. The boys have too much gas."

[and my favorite:]

"I think that you should stop being or acting crazy because we do not know if you really hear voices and think that we think you are Jesus and you scare children. That is what I think."

So this is what my students think of me.   ¶ 11:29 AM

  I've decided. I am going to be America's Top Model for Halloween. I'm thinking giant teased hair, smokey eye-shadow, and so much more.  ¶ 2:59 PM

  I must, must, MUST stop eating school food for lunch. Meaning french fries with ranch and weird red punch. What do you all do for lunch? I am tired of sandwiches, don't make dinner so I have leftovers, and am too tired to make anything else. What is to be done?

Is anyone else also in love with Scholastic Book Club? They give away so much free stuff when you order. And then if the kids order, they give you even more. I just got 100 free books in the mail with bonus points I had. I didn't even have to pay shipping and handling! 100 free books!!  ¶ 2:54 PM