Thursday, December 09, 2004
Things I was Supposed to Know Today and Didn’t:

1. My dental insurance covers basically nothing and I now owe six hundred dollars when I thought I was all paid up.

2. I should only let Justin out of class at 9:04am when his pass says to report to the cafeteria at 9:05am because when I let him out at 9:03am like I did today I "basically encourage him to act out because he has too much free time", according to the vice-principal.

3. What time the assembly was.

4. To bring a "favorite student writing sample and an OUT OF THIS WORLD writing prompt!!!" to the English department meeting.

5. The younger janitor doesn’t like me very much…considers me snobby, apparently.

6. My roof leaks and there should be a trashcan placed in the center on the room whenever there "be even a whiff or hint of rain", according to the older janitor, so that I don’t come into a puddle of a classroom like I did this morning.

7. Teachers are responsible for taking attendance, taking the notes and excuses of each of her one million students, fill out an attendance correction form for each note, maintain a file of the notes, and report the attendance and attendance changes to the "Attendance Officer" who has her own little office.

8. What the hell the "Attendance Officer" does in her own little office since I am responsible for doing all of the tasks in #7.

9. That I am "taking away Johnny’s fundamental rights to education" because I have him sitting in the back of my room, according to the "Exceptional Children’s Liaison", because he is deaf in one ear. First I’ve heard of it.

10. Where I am supposed to find the time to know all the things I am supposed to know.

It has kind of been a crap day and it is not quite noon. Thank goodness I have a workshop tomorrow because I am pretty sure that if I had to come here any more this week…well, I just wouldn’t.

Tonight I am going to see Melissa Ferrick at Cat’s Cradle! I used to love going to her shows. In the last couple of years I have been mostly disappointed…she seems to chew her gum at a frightening pace and I tend to worry for her safety and health. But I am excited to go tonight. There is always, at the very least, excellent people watching potential.
¶ 8:24 AM