Leno, Letterman and Me

I know who the Leno and Letterman writers are: former or current teachers. And how do I know this? I live it and I bite my cheek to not laugh out loud when the punch lines come.

So here's today, Friday November 7, 2008 7:25 AM
Breakfast With a Buddy (or bring someone to school early, like 7:15, and eat a donut together and then come to the classroom and meet the teacher who didn't need to plan for any lessons and then maybe run around, but for sure ask the teacher how the child is doing in school, even though conferences just occurred and then talk some more because remember the teacher doesn't need to plan), but this is only the beginning. That was the START of my day.

Oh and I forgot to mention that when I pulled up in the parking lot there was a backhoe the area of my classroom and a large wheel of HUGE orange cable and I remember that this weekend the city is connecting the fiber optic line to our school. And we were told not to come to school and work this weekend, DAMN!

So let's review -
1) Breakfast with a Buddy Day - Or Early Morning Open House
2) Cable outside my room

8:15 AM
It starts to rain/sleet/snow outside and the kids come in 10 minutes early to sit in the hallway.

8:35 AM
At the bell they walk in and we begin our morning routine. Things are going well. Our two days of ITBS are past us for the week and we all settle in.

8:36 AM
As we begin our guided reading groups there is a loud engine noise outside the window. Three children jump to check it out.

Me: "Sit down, it's just some men working on a cable for our computers."

8:37 AM
The noise continues, LOUDER.

Then a smell begins to come through our chiller (heat/cooling system that pulls in OUTSIDE air of course).

"Mrs. Bodnar, Mrs. Bodnar it smells in here!"

"I think I'm going to puke."

"Oh, man this is going to make me sick."

I also forgot to mention that I have a Core Reading teacher in the back of the room by the chiller, trying to control her group, with a para-educator in the room by the chiller saying, "Yes, it does stink back here." (Oh and he comes in first thing and says he might be out of it today because he just found out that one of his former high school friends committed suicide last night in NY)

AND a high school student observing in the room, chuckling, "Aren't you glad it's Friday?"

So 4 adults and 26 kids on just another day at work.

8:38 AM
So, I go to get the principal and she walks in and then another teacher comes in interrupting us and says she needs the principal NOW it's an emergency. (A parent had just walked in and told her that she was going to sue her because she did not put her child in MD. She and her husband had been in MD and she wanted her son in it. Now mind you he doesn't need MD, but is it a wonder he doesn't if the father and the mother had both been/are mentally disabled)

While ALL this is happening simultaneously the class yells, "THere is smoke!"

And sure enough there is diesel fuel smoke coming through the good old chiller system.

8:39 AM
By this time I am back at my group and trying to talk about a book when the group says, "Are we going to die from the smoke? What about second hand smoke?" (You must admit I did a good job teaching about not smoking!)

8:40 AM
THEN, oh yes, it's not over yet, the backhoe starts to move about. Mind you, we have the jackhammer, the smell, the diesel fog, some possible flurries AND the backhoe moving around.

This time EIGHT children run to the window and I tell them to sit down and direct the high school student to close all of our blinds, except our Fire Exit Window, which one student says, "We can still see the pretty tree."

Ya, the kids are looking at a tree.

8:41 AM
I then direct the high school student to put a post it on everyone's desk and announce
"Let's practice ignoring the sounds and smells. Remember how we need to ignore behaviors that are bothering us? Let's ignore what's outside. Miss B. will come and put a tally mark on everyone's desk who is working and ignoring the sound."

8:42 AM
The principal comes in to say that the noise should be done in about ten minutes.

Another ten after that and it was over.

So much for time on task. And if you think any part of our day was 'normal' after that beginning....

TGIF to you too.