okay, I officially give up on any pretense…

…of working. Because I really might as well be plopped down in the middle of, oh, Grand Central Station. And I really did try to think of a comparison that isn’t a cliche, but whatEVER. I can’t even get a complete sentence written without being interrupted, so forget any creative thought.  I might as well be plopped down in the middle of…. a really really busy and noisy place. Oh, wait – I AM!

Early registration started today. So all day long I’ve had to deal with the panic-stricken. To get into the teacher ed program and take the restricted classes, they have to meet a number of requirements and then turn in an application. So naturally they’re all turning them in today. Because they register today and they have to be admitted right this second!!!! Or they won’t get that class they have to have or their lives will be over!!!! Since I’m now unable to physically admit anyone myself, and have to send all the information over to the people who are entering data into the student information system, I don’t really know how long it will take. It takes me some time just to go through and make sure everything is really complete, because even though their advisors meet with them and verify that they’ve completed all their requirements and the advisors sign the forms saying they’ve met all the requirements — a whole lot have not, in fact, met all the requirements. I’ve about decided the advisors are as brain-dead as the students are. Or that they’ll sign anything. So I get applications without Praxis scores and without speech and hearing screenings and while they’re still in the prerequisite class so do not in fact have a passing grade for it and with GPAs that are under 2.50. And the advisor has signed the form saying it’s all fine.

Anyhow, it’s the usual chaos. And my phone is ringing ringing ringing and New Person J’s phone is ringing ringing ringing and Insane Boss is popping in and out of her office like a crazed jack-in-the-box waving stuff and asking me things like "How can I tell where Dr. HealthEdPerson is right this minute???"

Ummmm…. by gazing into our magic crystal ball? By accessing her GPS device?? How the hell would I know??!!  

Insane Boss is obviously used to having an assistant at her fingertips to cheerfully take care of her every need. And New Person J is technically her assistant, but New Person J is getting a wee bit snippy with Insane Boss, because of Insane Boss’ need to have someone at her fingertips cheerfully taking care of her every need, while simultaneously working on fifteen complicated projects at once. As the phones ring and the students pour in and Insane Boss pops in and out.  It’s kinda getting on J’s nerves. So Insane Boss keeps asking me crazy questions instead. I’m chronically polite, so I don’t heave a sigh or roll my eyes or look at my watch and say,  "Oh, look what time it is! It’s time for you to catch that next boat to Fuckity Off Island!"

No, I just say, "Well, I imagine Dr. HealthEdPerson’s office could probably tell you where she is right this minute." And then I bang my head repeatedly on my keyboard.

I did have a very amusing email from one of my favorite professors, which made me burst into laughter. One of her students is going to be student teaching in the fall. They have to have academic clearances done before they can register. The clearances were due at least a month ago. I get the forms last, after they meet with their advisors and have their TB tests done and have their own college figure their GPA in their major. So of course this one waits till last week to turn in anything, then brings it to me first. I send him away to have the rest of it done. He brings it to me again without having his advisor – this professor – do her part. I send him away to get that done. He brings it back without the GPA. I send him away AGAIN. After helping him figure out that he’s in the college of Arts and Sciences. Meanwhile I’ve emailed this professor several times about him, as she was already peeved at him for missing meetings with her and wanted to make sure he was doing what he was supposed to. Incidentally, he was originally student teaching this semester, but failed at least one class.

So I let her know when he FINALLY, on the fourth or so try and at least a month late, got everything turned in, and she emails back, "I am beginning to wonder if something is wrong with him." I was highly amused, since there is such a culture of NEVER saying anything like that about students. No matter HOW fluff-brained they are. We’re always positive about the poor little helpless things! We always make lots of excuses for them and NEVER blame anything on their own slackness or lack of brainpower! I have been wondering all along if something’s wrong with him, but I think it’s nothing a semester of flipping burgers at McDonalds wouldn’t cure. Good thing for him I’m not in charge of who gets to student teach and who gets to experience the Real World next semester. He’s actually a very likeable kid. Just very very aggravating. 

Well, time to quit whining and go work on applications. Will I ever write a non-whiney entry? Probably not.