“Pre-planning” – Day One

Today was my first day as an official teacher AND I am still alive to tell the tale. Of course, there were no students involved…and there aren’t likely to be any until NEXT Wednesday, but I feel full of a sense of accomplishment already! May have to go howl at the moon!

It’s going to be a wondermous year – I can tell! Oh yes I can!!! Don’t you argue with me! I’M THE TEACHER AND I’M IN CHARGE!

I didn’t get my “Welcome to Learning Middle School” letter from the principal. The letter telling me when to report and what the pre-planning agenda would be. I felt SO rejected. My major insecurities took over my ENTIRE psyche…and I spent a week just waiting for the phone to ring. The call would be somebody calling to tell me there was a mistake and I wasn’t really hired after all. The call never came…so I called the school, found out what time to show up & trotted my happy little hiney on in. I aked the principal if there was an agenda for the week since I didn’t get my official letter. He half-laughed and told me to get one from the secretary…and then re-fill out my paperwork. The reason I didn’t get a letter is because she lost me. Not deliberate rejection after all – just typical underpaid overworked clerical person error! Whew!

One of the APs (that’s teacher lingo for Assistant Principal – oh gawd a whole NEW set of initials I gotta learn!) had on the most wonderful pair of pants….black with big embrodered dragonflies all over em! I think I like her already!

After a morning of pretty typical back-to-work meeting fare, we were released to go work in our rooms – get em ready! ALL RIGHT!

I have 8 computers for my students. There are no cords, keyboards or mice for any of them.

There are, in addition to the really BIG TV and VCR on a cart in the corner, 4 small tv/vcr combination units. What the heck am I supposed to do with THOSE?

There are NO desks or other seating facilities in the room at all. I have 4-5 70 minute classes every day. Best I could tell from the roles I got today there are 20-28 students in each class. Where the hell am I supposed to put them?

The room is sterile. Painted an institutional pale green…and not an ounce of personality or decoraton in it. Does anyone have the website where I can get the stud-muffins of home economics posters?????

One of the two air conditioning units I have wasn’t working. I found the head custodian who listened sympathetically…and then showed me where the OUTDOOR shut-off switches for the units are. Then the AP who has the responsibility for the building explained to me that I should ALWAYS check that first since the students get tired of sitting in class and flip the switches off to try and get out of class. I simply thanked him for the information. I refrained from questioning the sanity of the genius engineer who made issued that little invitation to the students. I also refrained from asking why the hell they don’t just put little locks through thos little holes and keep the damn things from being able to be flipped off.

I started trying to figure out what is in my room. I found several sewing machines, a combination convection/microwave oven, some spices….78 boxes of crayons, 92 bottle of blue, 57 glue sticks, a gross of pens, 2 gross of pencils, 65 yellow highlighters, 8 bottles of white board cleaner and 29 whiteboard erasers. What is THAT all for?

You know the real mystery? Why are there 4 ironing boards in the room? It’s not like “I” am going to encourage anyone to use them – I am alergic to ironing!!!

I check the kitchen cabinets….distinctly bare. HOWEVER, the mini store-room which is between my and my neighbor’s classroom is chock full of appliances that don’t look like they’ve ever been unpacked. Ice cream freezers, food dehydraters, woks, chafing dishes and assorted other cooking-thingy type appliances. OK. Can somebody tell me why all that cool stuff is in STORAGE?????

I have NO freaking idea what my curriculum is…so tomorrow my subject area head is making a trip out to Learning Middle School just to see me! I think she wants to show me the nifty computer curriculum….on the computers for which I have no keyboards, mice or cords. I love a challenge – how about you?

On the subject of challenges….I will GRATEFULLY accept all ideas for CHEAP and easy and CHEAP and cute and CHEAP and impressive and (did I mention Cheap) CHEAP room decorations. Gratefully!

Falling Dog… now is the appropriate time to laugh at my confusion. It’s still a couple of weeks before it will be appropriate to pick fun at my cooking!