03 February 2011

CONFUSED TEACHER BEGS FOR ROUTINE

   I found myself today telling a colleague that the poor kids needed a routine again. With all the days off, late starts and early dismissals over the past three weeks, I have have racked up maybe three full days of teaching. Three.  I also counted how many iterations of our schedule we have used over this period of time, and was horrified to find that we have used the regular 26-period, 6 day cycle; the  one-hour late start; the two-hour late start; the early dismissal; the morning assembly schedule (first class 60 minutes, all others 26); and the noon dismissal schedules. This means that I do not see ANY student on a regular basis, and the length of class varies with each new schedule (41 minutes, 31 minutes, 60 minutes and 26 minutes. Maybe).
   Also, this week, for those not in the know about parochial school life, is Catholic Schools Week. We celebrate our particular focus on educating the minds and nurturing the souls of our children, which is pretty cool. At the high school level, the activities change every day. The bishop visits, we pray together (which always gets to me). The dress code changes every day, the number of children out to visit other catholic schools varies every day, and of course, the athletic schedule keeps rolling. Today we had a really nice teacher appreciation luncheon which included "Win It in A Minute" games, new to me. Thank God I did not have to run across the cafeteria with a cotton ball on my nose. My hold on my dignity is vicarious, at best. That might have destroyed me forever.  By the time we reach Friday, we are delirious from the bonding and the confusion. I think there is an assembly tomorrow;  I will need ear plugs to survive it.I don't know how long it will be or how that will affect my class times. I must remember to take the ear plugs out when I teach.
   So back to my thesis: my poor kids need a routine again. No they don't.  I need my routine again. Wish me luck.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Amen. I completely identify. Bring on some unseaonably warm weather and tedious days of Feb. And March without a holiday.