The examples people set and where these people work

Trying to help a kid be more successful often (no, always) involves a lot of paperwork.  I guess a necessary evil of bureaucracy.  Anyway, sometimes some of the paperwork ( not anywhere near the majority) has to be filled out by a parent of guardian.  Sent paperwork home with student.  Parent works at our school in non teaching assignment.  Parent returns paperwork (after repeated request and finally going to her to get it) and it is dirty, stepped on, actually looked like someone blew their nose on it.  If this is the kind of work you get from the person supposedly setting the example, how can the kid ever win???  Why wouldn’t you just ask for another clean copy if it got – I don’t know – put through a war zone or the paperwork was involved in a murder.  Please, I had to use the hand sanitizer after handling it and put it in a plastic bag before placing it in the file.  Make you wonder? Should I have had her redo it correctly like I would the student?  Should I have certain expectations from parents as well as the kids?  But then what???  I’m raising the parents since they obviously didn’t get much instruction in what is acceptable.  If my father had seen a paper like that from me, I would still be copying it over.  I copied whole notebooks over because it did not have the proper slant to the handwriting.  Nothing to do with the content.  But by golly, I would never turn in anything that wasn’t presentable.

You say you want a revolution

See if this fits in the category of “It is hard to suffer fools lightly.”  My Tonto and I were called down for being “disengaged” during a meeting.  Mind you there were 11 people in this meeting.  Two did not have electronic devices.  You guessed it – my Tonto and I.  People were getting up and leaving for phone calls (I’m sure real emergencies!!!)  On one side of me was an IPAD hard at work, surely not playing a game and on the other side was an IPHONE with frantic texting going on (or maybe it was a flock of angry birds!!)  Anyway, I admit I was disengaged, more like distracted by all the flurry of activity from the electronic in the room.  I think my static electricity was elevating to the point of combustion.  But, wait for further updates.  I have one more of these marathon meetings before retirement and I intend to complain about the level of distraction in the room that prevents my attention from being mummy like to the presenter.  Another thing I have noticed about these meetings is as soon as you get out an email arrives telling you there is a mistake or something needs to be reworked or cleaned up, so all the time was for naught.  Another 4 hours lost in a human life to the mundane.  I never realized until recently that some people do nothing but meet all the time.  Can’t wait till another day in paradise.

A Perfect Friday

The short week is always the toughest at school, but a small success with the crazy student.  He had a perfect day on Friday.  One week of intensive therapy grannie style, and he had a perfect day.  He actually made the entire day.  Was actually asked for something in writing about my retirement date so the process of replacing me can begin.  I had no problem doing that, but I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the whole concept of not working after a 45 years of working.  I’m seeing images of the old fashioned house dresses that just pull over of snap up the front so you can just hang loosely inside of them.  Did get the house a little closer to being ready to retire in.  Have a little more wallpaper, paint and repairs to finish.  The idea is to NEVER have to do those things again.  In other words, I have to die within the lifespan of my paint and carpet.  Thirty something bean seeds planted, four came up.  This gardening is going to take a little practice.  Nine sick days to use and 40 work days left.  I believe I can make it.

after a long weekend

Back to the exciting life of an elementary school tomorrow after a long weekend.  See what temporary insanity awaits me.  You never know;  it is so unpredictable.  The student that stands up in the middle of the classroom and shouts shut up to everyone.  When he is sent home after numerous disruptions his mother is unhappy because she just can’t babysit him.  (Neither can I) And what about the other 24 students in the room.  Are we to ignore their rights?  Of course we have an alternative campus, but no one wants us to put an elementary student in there because it requires hiring another teacher to man the room with the one student.  Not very cost effective, but hey everyone is now “entitled” to an education – psychotic or not.  On the other hand, the Down’s Syndrome student that has learned to read this year at the age of 9.  Hey, it may only be a kindergarten book at 22 words per minute, but what a joy to see and how hard she works at it.  Most days the 99% are great, but that 1% keeps monopolizing the majority of the time.  Reminds me of the protesters currently calling themselves the 99%.  The ones that do what they are supposed to are always overshadowed by that 1%.  Maybe those corporate greedy 1% should man the school for the disruptive student 1%.

How can I do this?

Well, with just about 40 days left until retirement and a two year contract left, I would nearly have to break the law to loose out now.  I’ll be careful not to do that.  We are reading the Speed of Trust as an admin group.  Who trusts anyone anymore?  Half the world is looking to make a living from sueing someone and even students say to us, “You can’t do that or my momma will sue you.”  I thought Sue was a name until I was at least 40 years old.

Finally to be able to say what you think; it’s liberating

This is my first attempt at blogging.  I have chosen to focus on a topic that has long interested me.  When people say they want your opinion or expertise, but beware – THEY REALLY DON’T.  It’s like the proverbial question, “Does this dress make me look fat?”  You know not to answer honestly (unless you are married to an abnormally thin super model), but they insist and sometimes you do and then – BAM – you have screwed up.

Come on in and enjoy saying what you feel.  Just be clean, if you try to keep the language proper,so will I.