6

Summary of today: blah blah blah blah blah

Oh, I'll go on a little bit. Why not? I did some thinking last night about how to get through this week and came up with some fillers that might not be horribly ineffective when it comes to teaching kids. I started the class period with an open notebook "pop quiz," which took a good 20 minutes to complete (5 questions). Of course, that's not all the kids' fault... if I had had them all year, I would probably have been able to establish some routines, etc. But, then again, if I had been in there all year, I very well might have resigned by now.

I thought of a great little cut, fold, color activity to go along with the Bill of Rights. While it's the type of thing that these observers and "experts" would love if they stepped in and saw my students doing it, I know it's crap and just a cop-out so I don't have to actually teach. My jaw is throbbing and I just don't have the energy to keep yelling over them. I do want to make it out of this school year in one piece... I have come too far not to do that.

I had a good chat with an old "friend" during my planning period. I'm more relaxed around most people now that the year is nearing its end.

At the end of the day, someone up in the office had a bright idea to start dismissing students by individual busses on the intercom instead of by the normal bell. Of course, no one bothered to inform teachers of this. This is true to form with our administration and has come to be expected. Of course, my kids started going crazy and I wasn't about to stress myself out trying to stop them. What will be... will be. Some of my students decided to turn it up a notch and began pushing the call button to the office. Of course, the office kept calling back... and they kept doing so even after the kids stopped pressing the button. I started getting calls from the principal like, "Mr. [Feanor], will you please control your students and make them quit pressing the intercom button?" Then, followed by a, "Mr. [Feanor], are you aware that your students are pressing the intercom button." I'd had enough at this point. "I am aware..." I replied quite slowly and firmly, "that my intercom button is evidently JAMMED." Piece of crap intercom system and a no good principal who doesn't even bother to use courtesy in front of students... My students said, "Man, Mr. [Feanor], you got crunk on her!" Someone needs to. Never in my life have I worked for such a miserable, unpleasant boss.

I think during 6th period (an hour before the end of the day) someone might have announced that there was a faculty meeting, but I didn't hear it. ;) Especially after that deal with the intercom, I had reached my negativity threshold and was in no mood to be berated any further. It's been awhile since I've really gotten in someone's face and told 'em like it is. Hopefully, come June 1st, it'll have still been awhile, but if not, someone will have deserved what they got.

NOTICE: I think I've managed to make this post "family (Dean) friendly" in an effort to watch my mouth. It took A LOT of backspacing in the second to last paragraph. A keen reader will probably have an idea of the initial diatribe.