Scene: 8th graders entering room
boy: can we have a fun day?
ignore.
boy: could you tell us stories today? you're so good at telling stories.
ignore. breathe.
boy: maybe we could watch a movie?
talk to someone else close by.
boy: at least can we just have a day where we can speak in English?
me: sure! you can speak in english. but we follow the same rules-so I have to speak only in english, too. this might complicate things.
boy: oh. never mind, then. it's way more fun to watch you try to act it out than just speaking a little english. go ahead with normal class. forget i asked.
me: thank you for your permission.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
I can't run a marathon, but....
Today I had one of the funniest class periods I've EVER had in my, well, five years of teaching. It started when in my 7th grade French class I told them that we were going to try something new, and I called it "Mega Super Francais." The concept was that as an entire class, I was going to time us and see how long we could make it without a word in English. Even if we needed the definition of something, we'd spell it out in French. So, we started.
I was introducing adjectives today and how to describe a person. So I start out by giving them a list of the words in French and then I basically act out or describe the definitions in simple French. It's fun to act, I get to make a fool out of myself, and it's the best way I've found to introduce vocabulary where it's not just them copying down a list for no reason (actually I didn't look hard to find it, I just copied exactly what Peg did when I watched her teach).
So, they were good sports and they were seriously trying hard. This is such a funny class and we have a great bond-and of course they found delight in using these new adjectives to make fun of ME! :) So, they were basically calling me old-only they did it in the funniest way. I said something along the lines of "Mrs. Wopat isn't old, right?" and I got answers in the chorus of "oui, madame est agee" or "ca va pas madame!". But a girl yells out "trente-et-un!" which made me laugh because I've warned them about guessing my age in the decade ABOVE what I really am. So I laughed and someone yelled, "Non! Cent!" which is great because we JUST learned numbers 60-100. Then, essentially for the next few minutes we stayed all in French, just joking with each other (at one point, even about my iq:).
I'm not sure if you're not a French teacher you can explain the feeling that you get from lasting 16 minutes and 25 seconds without one single word of English (Although the word that ended it all was Hobo). After it was over we all were looking around, smiling and one girl raised her hand and said, "Puis-je parler en anglais? It is SO much more fun to speak all in French." And she was sincere. And this made me want to run to her and hug her and it made me feel like I'd imagine it feels to finish a marathon. I think it's what it feels like to know that you have actually succeeded. And I didn't care what happened for the rest of the day because it was SO amazing. Such a high. And that is really hard to explain-but it's the ONLY reason I think I can last as a teacher even for the rest of the year.
I was introducing adjectives today and how to describe a person. So I start out by giving them a list of the words in French and then I basically act out or describe the definitions in simple French. It's fun to act, I get to make a fool out of myself, and it's the best way I've found to introduce vocabulary where it's not just them copying down a list for no reason (actually I didn't look hard to find it, I just copied exactly what Peg did when I watched her teach).
So, they were good sports and they were seriously trying hard. This is such a funny class and we have a great bond-and of course they found delight in using these new adjectives to make fun of ME! :) So, they were basically calling me old-only they did it in the funniest way. I said something along the lines of "Mrs. Wopat isn't old, right?" and I got answers in the chorus of "oui, madame est agee" or "ca va pas madame!". But a girl yells out "trente-et-un!" which made me laugh because I've warned them about guessing my age in the decade ABOVE what I really am. So I laughed and someone yelled, "Non! Cent!" which is great because we JUST learned numbers 60-100. Then, essentially for the next few minutes we stayed all in French, just joking with each other (at one point, even about my iq:).
I'm not sure if you're not a French teacher you can explain the feeling that you get from lasting 16 minutes and 25 seconds without one single word of English (Although the word that ended it all was Hobo). After it was over we all were looking around, smiling and one girl raised her hand and said, "Puis-je parler en anglais? It is SO much more fun to speak all in French." And she was sincere. And this made me want to run to her and hug her and it made me feel like I'd imagine it feels to finish a marathon. I think it's what it feels like to know that you have actually succeeded. And I didn't care what happened for the rest of the day because it was SO amazing. Such a high. And that is really hard to explain-but it's the ONLY reason I think I can last as a teacher even for the rest of the year.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Homecoming Week
I have done a lot of crazy things in my life thus far. Maybe not crazy like sky diving or bungee jumping, but I pretty much have made a fool out of myself in a number of ways. For four summers in college I worked at a French Immersion summer camp where the kids would come to have "typical" summer camp, only everything would be in French. The food, the games, the classes, and the language! In order to make it so the kids would actually understand and have fun, you pretty much had to do whatever you could. A highlight of this might be me, with a sheet over my head and a bucket, pretending to be a toilet and cough up too much papertowels....about 5 times in a row for a station activity. (My boss did say I was the best toilet he'd ever employed). Another might be the time I wore a blue spandex body suit and pretended I was a mutated beaver on the prowl to kidnap TinTin during "Plaisirs d'amour" our daily soap opera. The list could go on and on. Basically, I don't have a box.
So when dress-up days come at school, while some teachers squirm just thinking about it, I embrace them. Heck, I use barbie dolls at least 3 times a day to help me teach-what is a little pajama day? It actually shocks me how some teachers are so formal and stiff. I don't know how they actually became teachers because it seems like they don't like having fun, or even like kids. Not up to me to judge, I guess.
Dressing up is just one part of homecoming week-the other part is that the children turn INSANE. I'm so serious. I dare you to try to get the kids to work on Friday of homecoming week. The worst part is that I work with 12, 13, and 14 year olds. They don't even care about homecoming. They just seize the opportunity to be goofy whenever they can. That said, I'm on the fence about homecoming week.
I'm off to go shop for tomorrow...."Monster Monday." :)
So when dress-up days come at school, while some teachers squirm just thinking about it, I embrace them. Heck, I use barbie dolls at least 3 times a day to help me teach-what is a little pajama day? It actually shocks me how some teachers are so formal and stiff. I don't know how they actually became teachers because it seems like they don't like having fun, or even like kids. Not up to me to judge, I guess.
Dressing up is just one part of homecoming week-the other part is that the children turn INSANE. I'm so serious. I dare you to try to get the kids to work on Friday of homecoming week. The worst part is that I work with 12, 13, and 14 year olds. They don't even care about homecoming. They just seize the opportunity to be goofy whenever they can. That said, I'm on the fence about homecoming week.
I'm off to go shop for tomorrow...."Monster Monday." :)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
So, where WERE you yesterday?
I have a friend who tells me all the time how he LOVES taking "mental health days" every once in a while. He calls in sick to work, rents movies and orders take out and relaxes all day long. He usually doesn't decide it's going to be one of those days until about 5 minutes before he's supposed to leave for work.
This is certainly not similar to the life of a teacher! It is way more work to be gone from school than it is to just suck it up and go in. So, the rule is pretty much unless you are throwing up or delirious (and sometimes, honestly, that helps...) you go to school. On the days when you just can't hack it, it goes something like this:
2:00 a.m. wake up. perhaps with a few more hours of sleep you'll feel better
3:00 a.m. wake up. well, this is still a reasonable time....yep, you'll definitely be fine in the morning
4:00 a.m. wake up. start to think about what you could possibly have the sub do-is there a magic sheet somewhere that all 6 classes of 3 different grade levels could work on for the entire hour? 172 copies of it?
5:00 a.m. things are getting close now...start to get up and then re-think it. you could probably wait until 5:30 for sure.
5:10 a.m. what videos could I show?
5:17 a.m. what time did the district say was the cutoff for calling a sub?
5:20 a.m. it would be letting the kids down to miss work
5:23 a.m. but, really, they'll probably like having a sub and just getting to watch a video anyway. And you will be a MUCH better teacher the next day with a little rest
5:25 a.m. the ultimate test: do you feel like it is a possibility that you might throw a child out the window at any point?
5:26 a.m. turn on computer, call for sub
begin refreshing the page incessantly until you've made sure a sub covers your class
Spend the next hour typing up elaborate subplans, including how to work the tv, which kids will try to sit in the wrong spot, trying to remember where you last left your lesson plan book and folder with class lists in it.
Spend the rest of the day trying to get better, but looking at the clock quite often, thinking..."9:27 a.m....my second 8th grade class will be just leaving. The sub doesn't know what they're in for next hour!" or hoping that no one has done anything crazy while you're gone. Also check your school e-mail 3 or 4 times to make sure nothing happened that you shouldn't go the day without knowing. Answer 8 or 10 emails back to your friends assuring them that you're fine and it is nothing serious. Also ward off continuous feelings of guilt that you are at home when everyone else is going on with their day. Start feeling anxiety about what the sub will have left you, what your room will look like, and if anyone pulled the fire alarm.
This week is the third week of school and yesterday I had to be gone. It was a different type of gone, though, because my father-in-law was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. When you're spending the day in a hospital room, things happen on a very different timeline.
4:16 a.m. phone call from family member
4:17 a.m. turn on computer, call for sub, direct them to "follow emergency lesson plans"
take the dog out, and run out the door.
It's amazing, though, how the guilt still comes. And the next morning is still weird-that everyone else has had a monday at school that didn't include you. Things have happened that you are left out of, which is a nagging feeling. The kids always inform you just exactly what your sub was like. I, personally, enjoy hearing that "The sub was soooooo mean." To me, it just means they were doing their job :)
This is certainly not similar to the life of a teacher! It is way more work to be gone from school than it is to just suck it up and go in. So, the rule is pretty much unless you are throwing up or delirious (and sometimes, honestly, that helps...) you go to school. On the days when you just can't hack it, it goes something like this:
2:00 a.m. wake up. perhaps with a few more hours of sleep you'll feel better
3:00 a.m. wake up. well, this is still a reasonable time....yep, you'll definitely be fine in the morning
4:00 a.m. wake up. start to think about what you could possibly have the sub do-is there a magic sheet somewhere that all 6 classes of 3 different grade levels could work on for the entire hour? 172 copies of it?
5:00 a.m. things are getting close now...start to get up and then re-think it. you could probably wait until 5:30 for sure.
5:10 a.m. what videos could I show?
5:17 a.m. what time did the district say was the cutoff for calling a sub?
5:20 a.m. it would be letting the kids down to miss work
5:23 a.m. but, really, they'll probably like having a sub and just getting to watch a video anyway. And you will be a MUCH better teacher the next day with a little rest
5:25 a.m. the ultimate test: do you feel like it is a possibility that you might throw a child out the window at any point?
5:26 a.m. turn on computer, call for sub
begin refreshing the page incessantly until you've made sure a sub covers your class
Spend the next hour typing up elaborate subplans, including how to work the tv, which kids will try to sit in the wrong spot, trying to remember where you last left your lesson plan book and folder with class lists in it.
Spend the rest of the day trying to get better, but looking at the clock quite often, thinking..."9:27 a.m....my second 8th grade class will be just leaving. The sub doesn't know what they're in for next hour!" or hoping that no one has done anything crazy while you're gone. Also check your school e-mail 3 or 4 times to make sure nothing happened that you shouldn't go the day without knowing. Answer 8 or 10 emails back to your friends assuring them that you're fine and it is nothing serious. Also ward off continuous feelings of guilt that you are at home when everyone else is going on with their day. Start feeling anxiety about what the sub will have left you, what your room will look like, and if anyone pulled the fire alarm.
This week is the third week of school and yesterday I had to be gone. It was a different type of gone, though, because my father-in-law was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. When you're spending the day in a hospital room, things happen on a very different timeline.
4:16 a.m. phone call from family member
4:17 a.m. turn on computer, call for sub, direct them to "follow emergency lesson plans"
take the dog out, and run out the door.
It's amazing, though, how the guilt still comes. And the next morning is still weird-that everyone else has had a monday at school that didn't include you. Things have happened that you are left out of, which is a nagging feeling. The kids always inform you just exactly what your sub was like. I, personally, enjoy hearing that "The sub was soooooo mean." To me, it just means they were doing their job :)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Yeah, but why French?
I have probably heard this question a hundred times from parents. Tonight happens to be open house at my school and a "businessman" just came in (even though his daughter is not in French currently) to demand answers as to why 1) she has French and not Spanish 2) why even bother teaching something for such a short time and 3) why do we even teach French here?
Here is my answer to this:
Why not?
Here is my answer to this:
Why not?
Misty
I've known Misty since she was in 4th grade. I remember distinctly the very moment that I met her. I was an ESL teacher and I worked in the classroom that Misty was in. I came in to the room and the classroom teacher was busy trying to redirect a student and I noticed that Misty was curled up into a ball, sitting underneath her desk. I approached her and asked if I could help in anyway.
"Yeah, you can. You can tell everyone ELSE to GO AWAY!"
Then she growled.
Literally, growled.
Since then, I've had Misty in 6th and 7th grade French. Last year she told me that I was teaching the wrong word for hello in French. Oh, and the word for brown that I was using was incorrect.
She also a) broke the leg off of a table when she tripped over it and b) stepped into a box of headphones and took a hard fall right onto the floor. Her head is always in a book and usually she has 4 or 5 books in a pile along with her. She never, ever has her folder or pencil for class and in the history of middle school has never been on time for class.
She is also one of my all time favorite students.
No matter where we are or what's going on, if she sees me she (yells) "Hi Mrs. Wopat!!!" She puts up a good fight when she doesn't want to do what you are asking. She can tell you millions of random facts.
So, this year when I looked at my 8th grade class lists (it's an elective in 8th grade) I have to say that I was still shocked to see her name! The past week she has been doing a great job-she's participating more than ever and I haven't had to tell her even once to look up from her book. A few days ago she mentioned to me that she was really glad to have taken French, and I told her the feeling was mutual.
Today, though, I felt like the luckiest teacher ever-the class was over and everyone had shuffled out. Misty came right up to my desk and looked right at me and said "You are the best teacher I've ever had in my life!" and then she turned right on her heel and marched out the door.
I was literally on the verge of tears, when on the way out, she took the corner too short and ran smack dab into the cart full of booklets and knocked the whole thing over! The booklets went smashing all over everywhere and my teary eyes turned straight to laughter.
Gotta love Misty :)
"Yeah, you can. You can tell everyone ELSE to GO AWAY!"
Then she growled.
Literally, growled.
Since then, I've had Misty in 6th and 7th grade French. Last year she told me that I was teaching the wrong word for hello in French. Oh, and the word for brown that I was using was incorrect.
She also a) broke the leg off of a table when she tripped over it and b) stepped into a box of headphones and took a hard fall right onto the floor. Her head is always in a book and usually she has 4 or 5 books in a pile along with her. She never, ever has her folder or pencil for class and in the history of middle school has never been on time for class.
She is also one of my all time favorite students.
No matter where we are or what's going on, if she sees me she (yells) "Hi Mrs. Wopat!!!" She puts up a good fight when she doesn't want to do what you are asking. She can tell you millions of random facts.
So, this year when I looked at my 8th grade class lists (it's an elective in 8th grade) I have to say that I was still shocked to see her name! The past week she has been doing a great job-she's participating more than ever and I haven't had to tell her even once to look up from her book. A few days ago she mentioned to me that she was really glad to have taken French, and I told her the feeling was mutual.
Today, though, I felt like the luckiest teacher ever-the class was over and everyone had shuffled out. Misty came right up to my desk and looked right at me and said "You are the best teacher I've ever had in my life!" and then she turned right on her heel and marched out the door.
I was literally on the verge of tears, when on the way out, she took the corner too short and ran smack dab into the cart full of booklets and knocked the whole thing over! The booklets went smashing all over everywhere and my teary eyes turned straight to laughter.
Gotta love Misty :)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Better than Lambeau!
It's before class. 6th graders are shuffling in and one small, very innocent looking boy comes up to my desk, clutching a lilac-colored form. He nervously approaches my desk and begins what I'm very sure is a little speech that he has practiced.
Boy: "Bonjour, Madame Wopat. Puis-je parler en anglais?"
Me (with a big smile): "Oui!"
Boy: "I was wondering if you could sign this form. It says I will be gone on Monday since I am going to Green Bay to watch a Packer's game."
Me: "Sure! That sounds so fun! You're a lucky guy!"
Boy (with head down): "I don't feel so lucky. I don't even want to be gone! I love French class SO much. I can't believe I have to miss it!"
Now, those of you who may not work with kids, or may not work with 6th graders, you may jump to the conclusion of "What a suck-up!" However, if you know any 11 year olds on their 3rd day of middle school, your heart would MELT the way mine did when you heard this. You would instantly know that this is SO super genuine. The boy is still so innocent that he doesn't even know how to suck-up.
I immediately wanted to stand up, bottle this boy into something that I could keep at my house and take on those horrible winter mornings when I feel like if I go to school my life story might end up in a Lifetime movie. Maybe if I played it over and over again I could muddle through the crazy stress that is my life!!
I don't know-but being told you're better than Lambeau field is a pretty good feeling. This should last at least through Monday morning!!!
Boy: "Bonjour, Madame Wopat. Puis-je parler en anglais?"
Me (with a big smile): "Oui!"
Boy: "I was wondering if you could sign this form. It says I will be gone on Monday since I am going to Green Bay to watch a Packer's game."
Me: "Sure! That sounds so fun! You're a lucky guy!"
Boy (with head down): "I don't feel so lucky. I don't even want to be gone! I love French class SO much. I can't believe I have to miss it!"
Now, those of you who may not work with kids, or may not work with 6th graders, you may jump to the conclusion of "What a suck-up!" However, if you know any 11 year olds on their 3rd day of middle school, your heart would MELT the way mine did when you heard this. You would instantly know that this is SO super genuine. The boy is still so innocent that he doesn't even know how to suck-up.
I immediately wanted to stand up, bottle this boy into something that I could keep at my house and take on those horrible winter mornings when I feel like if I go to school my life story might end up in a Lifetime movie. Maybe if I played it over and over again I could muddle through the crazy stress that is my life!!
I don't know-but being told you're better than Lambeau field is a pretty good feeling. This should last at least through Monday morning!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Finding your Inner Ninja
I am very protective of my stuff.
When you work with middle schoolers, for the most part, they may not always think through a lot of the things that they do. And this may make them a little careless sometimes, especially with "things."
My way of helping the kids understand how I want them to treat my things might be slightly unconventional.
Here's an example:
I teach French. We use small, personal size whiteboards with dry-erasers to practice the concepts that we are learning. I like to keep them clean-not just because I'm anal (which I am, undeniably) but because if they get really dirty, the kids using them get really dirty, and then we have complaining and whining and, well, dirty kids. Plus they're annoying to make and I want to keep them!
To the naked eye, it would appear easy. Um, just tell the kids what you want them to do. They'll do it if they know it is a rule.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Not so fast. Don't forget that as a rule I pretty much only speak French in my classroom. So I have to come up with not only words, but more so act out whatever I want them to do. AND middle school kids hear about 56 rules a day, and they decide which ones are worth following.
I, however, need them to know just how serious I am about this...so I use humor.
I call this "Finding your Inner Ninja."
Acting out using numchucks on somebody who decides to use the opposite side of the whiteboard to write in probably sounds pretty extreme. Especially when you're me and you don't actually have any numchucks.
But the deal is-you get through to these kids by coming down to their level-in every way, especially humore. You have to figure out what they think is funny.
Fortunately (and I'm not quite sure what this says about me) I'm pretty good at this. And so instead of making a rules poster, (1. Do not write on backside of Whiteboard. Punishment if you do: Detention and washing of all whiteboards)
I tell them I will use numchucks and my secret ninja moves on them if I catch them doing it.
They laugh a lot, then get to work and it takes a pretty "careless" kid to risk being secret ninja moved by their teacher to write where I don't want them to write.
Most people have some sort of classroom discipline "regime" they follow. Love and Logic, for example, or Responsive Classroom. Mine? My inner ninja. :)
When you work with middle schoolers, for the most part, they may not always think through a lot of the things that they do. And this may make them a little careless sometimes, especially with "things."
My way of helping the kids understand how I want them to treat my things might be slightly unconventional.
Here's an example:
I teach French. We use small, personal size whiteboards with dry-erasers to practice the concepts that we are learning. I like to keep them clean-not just because I'm anal (which I am, undeniably) but because if they get really dirty, the kids using them get really dirty, and then we have complaining and whining and, well, dirty kids. Plus they're annoying to make and I want to keep them!
To the naked eye, it would appear easy. Um, just tell the kids what you want them to do. They'll do it if they know it is a rule.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. Not so fast. Don't forget that as a rule I pretty much only speak French in my classroom. So I have to come up with not only words, but more so act out whatever I want them to do. AND middle school kids hear about 56 rules a day, and they decide which ones are worth following.
I, however, need them to know just how serious I am about this...so I use humor.
I call this "Finding your Inner Ninja."
Acting out using numchucks on somebody who decides to use the opposite side of the whiteboard to write in probably sounds pretty extreme. Especially when you're me and you don't actually have any numchucks.
But the deal is-you get through to these kids by coming down to their level-in every way, especially humore. You have to figure out what they think is funny.
Fortunately (and I'm not quite sure what this says about me) I'm pretty good at this. And so instead of making a rules poster, (1. Do not write on backside of Whiteboard. Punishment if you do: Detention and washing of all whiteboards)
I tell them I will use numchucks and my secret ninja moves on them if I catch them doing it.
They laugh a lot, then get to work and it takes a pretty "careless" kid to risk being secret ninja moved by their teacher to write where I don't want them to write.
Most people have some sort of classroom discipline "regime" they follow. Love and Logic, for example, or Responsive Classroom. Mine? My inner ninja. :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Quote of the Day
First day of school.
2 minutes after the first bell rang signifying the start of school:
Me: "I have a lot of information for you! Before I start, does anyone have a really important question they need to know the answer to?"
11 year old boy in camouflage pants, black skull t-shirt, and pierced lip (with disgust), "Yeah. When does school get over?"
2 minutes after the first bell rang signifying the start of school:
Me: "I have a lot of information for you! Before I start, does anyone have a really important question they need to know the answer to?"
11 year old boy in camouflage pants, black skull t-shirt, and pierced lip (with disgust), "Yeah. When does school get over?"
I could learn to be an architect, right?
So, as a teacher, I have to be honest. I really do like my job, but I also REALLY love the summer. And so when summer is over, it is not so fun. Now, I have a lot of friends that are teachers. When we come back to school, some of them make me very angry. They are the ones that are like, "Oh, I was so ready to be back! I get so bored in the summer. I miss the kids."
I'm telling you that I love seeing the kids, too. However, I do not enjoy seeing them at 7 a.m. after not seeing that time for approximately 3 months.
The friends that I really appreciate are the ones from whom I received the following voicemails/e-mails after the first day of school:
"Hey! Only 179 days to go!"
"Hey, Christy! Architect, medical transcriptionist, freelance writer/photographer, personal shopper, wedding planner...one of those has got to work out for us!"
"Dear, Christy. When you go work at Ace Hardware, could you put in a good word for me?"
These make me so happy, not because we hate our jobs, but that we can all appreciate a good, sarcastic laugh at how miserable it is to have freedom (although most of us spend much of our summers working at school or for school) and then to lose it just.like.that.
At the end of day 2, teachers know what they are in for. They have picked out already the kids that are going to push us to our limits, the kids that we will need to push to their limits, and the kids that will very happily fit somewhere in between.
That being said, we are exhausted. Tonight we sat down for dinner and when my husband stood up to begin cleaning up, he groaned, "Babe. Don't try to stand up. Seriously, for your own good!" Last night we fell into bed, exhausted at 9:30 and then spent hours tossing and turning, nerves finally settling and our tired brains fighting back for all we had put them through.
178 to go, I guess.
When's Christmas break?
I'm telling you that I love seeing the kids, too. However, I do not enjoy seeing them at 7 a.m. after not seeing that time for approximately 3 months.
The friends that I really appreciate are the ones from whom I received the following voicemails/e-mails after the first day of school:
"Hey! Only 179 days to go!"
"Hey, Christy! Architect, medical transcriptionist, freelance writer/photographer, personal shopper, wedding planner...one of those has got to work out for us!"
"Dear, Christy. When you go work at Ace Hardware, could you put in a good word for me?"
These make me so happy, not because we hate our jobs, but that we can all appreciate a good, sarcastic laugh at how miserable it is to have freedom (although most of us spend much of our summers working at school or for school) and then to lose it just.like.that.
At the end of day 2, teachers know what they are in for. They have picked out already the kids that are going to push us to our limits, the kids that we will need to push to their limits, and the kids that will very happily fit somewhere in between.
That being said, we are exhausted. Tonight we sat down for dinner and when my husband stood up to begin cleaning up, he groaned, "Babe. Don't try to stand up. Seriously, for your own good!" Last night we fell into bed, exhausted at 9:30 and then spent hours tossing and turning, nerves finally settling and our tired brains fighting back for all we had put them through.
178 to go, I guess.
When's Christmas break?
Monday, September 1, 2008
Twas the night before...
Today we begin the phenomenon that is known as "the night before the first day of school." In a teacher's life, it is never a great day. It is the day when we suddenly panic. Have we done everything we needed to be ready for the students? Have we relaxed enough? Did we iron the dress clothes that we have (very happily) left to wrinkle in our closet? Did we take the dog to the vet/get the oil changed/get our haircut/go to the dentist/clean the house/buy toilet paper/run every errand we could think of that we can never seem to get done during the school year?
The night before the last night of summer we make up our minds: tonight, we will go to bed early so that we get up early tomorrow so that we will be tired for bed. Last night it was around 11:30 when my husband said to me, "Babe? I think it's past our bedtime." In the summer, we are nocturnal beings. We love staying awake into the early hours of the morning-2, 3, even 4 a.m. Tonight, it's as though different people have taken over our bodies.
It is the same every year:
The clock says 9:30: It's officially "time for bed."
Pick out outfit.
Set the alarm.
Take the dog out.
Check e-mail.
Check the alarm.
Get into bed.
Check the alarm.
Lay there.
Ask if spouse is still awake.
Groan about how you should be asleep because tomorrow you will be so crabby if you don't get your 8 hours.
Does the dog need water?
Wait, I need water.
Is my bag packed?
Is there gas in the car?
Run into the other room to add something to the "to-do" list.
Check the alarm.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Honestly, it's as though we've never been through a "first day of school" before. You'd think that having been through that approximately 20 times would ease the anxiety. Instead, at about 1:00 a.m. I usually threaten my husband and try to force feed him with Tylenol p.m. if he doesn't get to sleep.
What is there to worry about?
Losing your class lists? :)
The night before the last night of summer we make up our minds: tonight, we will go to bed early so that we get up early tomorrow so that we will be tired for bed. Last night it was around 11:30 when my husband said to me, "Babe? I think it's past our bedtime." In the summer, we are nocturnal beings. We love staying awake into the early hours of the morning-2, 3, even 4 a.m. Tonight, it's as though different people have taken over our bodies.
It is the same every year:
The clock says 9:30: It's officially "time for bed."
Pick out outfit.
Set the alarm.
Take the dog out.
Check e-mail.
Check the alarm.
Get into bed.
Check the alarm.
Lay there.
Ask if spouse is still awake.
Groan about how you should be asleep because tomorrow you will be so crabby if you don't get your 8 hours.
Does the dog need water?
Wait, I need water.
Is my bag packed?
Is there gas in the car?
Run into the other room to add something to the "to-do" list.
Check the alarm.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Honestly, it's as though we've never been through a "first day of school" before. You'd think that having been through that approximately 20 times would ease the anxiety. Instead, at about 1:00 a.m. I usually threaten my husband and try to force feed him with Tylenol p.m. if he doesn't get to sleep.
What is there to worry about?
Losing your class lists? :)
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