Back…and On FIRE

First things first.  THANK YOU to everyone who sent positive thoughts and prayers my way.  THANK YOU for leaving me encouraging notes and checking back on me while I was busy wallowing.  THANK YOU for not giving up on me.  Some of the best people in the world write here on Open Diary!

And so…….I’m back.  I worked all summer at school.  Let me explain why this is unusual for teachers here.  Most summer programs run only for the month of June.  My program ran through Friday, July 22.  During those two months I ran my part of the program with NO money.  Yet, every day each of my classes was able to cook something.  Nothing fancy – but we always had hot dogs, cookies, french fries, churros, funnel cakes, eggs, sandwiches…..something.  Some of the money came out of my own pocket and for some of it I used up my stores for the coming school year.

Close to the end of the program I was able to go to a meeting with the big mucky-mucks who were the administrators of this program.  They criticized our efforts.  My dander got up – in a big way.  Did I mention that I funded this program WITHOUT the promised monies?  And did I mention that my experience was NOT the exception?  Other teachers came out of pocket to keep their kids entertained and educated.  Some teachers BEGGED at local stores for supplies.  (A big THANK YOU to Home Depot and Lowes both for providing mulch and plants for our horticulture class!)  To add insult to injury, our pay was errated and incorrect.  I am still awaiting payment for the entire month of July – well over a thousand dollars.  They say I’ll get it this Friday….but I’ve listened to that song before.  The chorus is getting boring.

Now we come back to school to find out that they are delaying our first paycheck for nearly two weeks.  When confronted with the hardship this will cause thousands of school district employees – they Mucky-mucks gave us a solution – take out a low interest loan at the credit union.  Are you getting the picture?  None of us will be paid on time and to make up the difference we should wait in long lines for hours in order to PAY to get a loan to cover their screw up.  Why did they think I’d be jumping for joy at THAT idea?  In the meantime, the water department is threatening to cut off my water and the cell phone people are equally adamant.  I’m sure my other creditors will be weighing in soon.

SO – I worked through July 22.   I had the weekend off and then had to attend a day long meeting for Family & Consumer Science teachers on Monday.  I had Tuesday all to myself……..and was back in school preparing for the new year on Wednesday.  I’ve spent hour after hour in useless boring meetings.  The master schedule was mishandled and tomorrow, when school opens, there will be hundreds of students in my school who don’t even have a class schedule yet.  My third period class has 32 students at last count.  I have seats for 28….and 25 is really more than I can work with comfortably in my current classroom with only 2 kitchens available to cook in.  My curriculum is out the window because it is done in levels…..assuming that you will take first the basic class and then the more advanced one.  EXCEPT that they are mixing 7th and 8th grade students in my classes – so I will have basic and advanced students together in 3 classes. 

Today I got two new additions to my classes – an 8th grade girl who is severely visually impaird (I think she is legally blind) and speaks NO English and a 6th grade boy who has sickle cell and has already had 3 strokes.  I was given these students because the counselors know and trust me to work well with special kids.  I am – in short – competent.

I forgot to mention that I am also now on the School Improvement Team which requires additional commitment of time meeting with business people and parents.  Oh yes – and abuse from other faculty members who will not get involved because it is not required by their contract when we make policies for the school.  I have also been asked by a district supervisor to provide food for a series of meetings across the district.  At the first meeting I am going to have to feed 700 people with $500.00.  Is anyone familiar with the miracle of the loaves and fishes?  This is gonna rank right up there with that if I can pull it off.  Again – my competence is to blame.

Our professional study day was this Monday.  I gave a presentation about using Power Point presentations and and LCD projector to enhance teaching and facilitate learning.  We are – don’t forget – attempting to teach the Nintendo generation and somehow this requires more changes of activity and more technology to continually capture their interest.  After my presentation the demand was so great for more instruction – particularly in how to use Power Point to make lesson presentations – that I am being contracted to teach classes either in the evenings or on Saturday to show others how to do what I do.

P.S.  I am a "new" teacher.  I am "inexperienced".  My education background is in marketing, not culinary operations or other areas in FACS.  I fly by the seat of my pants much more than is recommended.  And yet…….I am still competent.

I am tired of being competent – but I can not – will not – be incompetent.  I have a very low tolerance for incompetence.  Let me rephrase.  Some people are new or inexperienced and therefor have at least a small reason for TEMPORARY incompetence.  The incompetence I have no patience for is that born of laziness, arrogance and stubbornness.

The students come back tomorrow.  It will be a mad house.  I want to turn tail an run for the hills.  But I am competent.  And I will greet them all with a smile and a laugh.  I will be glad to see them.  I will do what I must…..and a good deal more.  And I will be competent……..all for my bring home pay (when I get it, that is) of about $800.00 every two weeks.

Now to catch up with all of you……but it may take me a while to get back in the full swing!