August 27, 2012
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1 Argggh! Thursday morning I went to school and found out that they had changed two of my classes.2 I reported last week that after our Wednesday meeting, I turned into a wretch.3 I had trouble sleeping, because we were told that because of some sort of honest snafu, some classes were going to be affected.4 Well the first days are the hardest days don't you worry anymore; cuz when life looks like easy street there is danger at your door-- Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, Uncle John's Band. The tale I'm about to tell will explain how that song popped into my mind last week. It began with Wednesday's horrific foreshadows at our English meeting. I had trouble sleeping that entire night.5 Thursday morning I was told that two of my classes were going to be changed.6 I rolled with it, but knew that I was gong to have to re-arrange a ton of planning. I also had to tell my students that they were going to lose me as a teacher, AND that all of their schedules were going to change, probably by Friday.7 On Friday, I was supposed to take three of my English 1A classes to the theater for an orientation. Third period I didn't know if I was to go to the theater, to another teacher's room, or stay in my own room. When nothing happened, I was ready to go meet my regular class at the theater when a delivery student came in with a handful of thirty-five student transfers. I guess they were to be given to the my regular students, who were in the theater.8 I decided that the most logical thing would be to go to the theater, give the students their transfers, and then hurry back to my room in case my new students would show up. Just as I was ready to leave for the theater, another teacher came in to my classroom with an entire class, my new class.9 It was like being in a 30's comedy.
10 For a minute, I thought I was being filmed.11 I thought she was just dropping off her entire class, which I was inheriting.12 I explained to her that I probably had to go down to the theater to give my own students their transfers out of my class, but she seemed confused, as was I.13 So she said, "So you're going down to the theater and coming right back?"14
15 Ah, no? The students are listening to an orientation by the principal, and I can't interrupt. I have to wait 'til the period is over, give my students the transfers, and then return to my own room to re-group.16 I didn't know what HER plans were, but I assumed that the office had given me those transfers so that my kids could get them and move to their new class. The trouble was, I had my students meet in the theater, so they weren't in my class.17 I'm still not sure what happened, but I did get down to the theater and take care of my own. I figured the other teacher could watch her own class in my room fairly easily.18 It all worked out, because all the counselors and people who knew what was going on were at the orientation in the theater. The kids didn't know which class they were supposed to go to when they got their schedules. Some went to their next class, and some went to the class to which they were transferred. One girl came back in tears because her coach told her to scram.19 These are freshmen at a school with almost 2700 students. A lot of them were scared to death.20 They were wound up and walking into walls.21 I was pretty wound up, but I sort of calmed down and thought, "It is what it is."22 During break, my department chair came in and started writing scenarios of my whiteboard as to what we were to do next. She was fast, like a football coach designing a new play.23 "So...fifth period you go to Tonoko's class, introduce yourself as their new English 1A teacher, and take them to the Theater. Kritzek will then do a post pattern, and Tonoko will heave the ball to her. By then it will be the half..."24 All I heard was the first part; I had no idea who got transferred where, or even how that stuff works. I just heard my own job, which was to jump into a brand new teacher's room, interrupt whatever was going on, introduce myself, and hijack her students down to the theater.
25 I'm pretty sure the department chair took care of my fifth period sophs, who were watching me head to another room during passing period and asking, "Mr. H, where do we go?"26 I was a wreck. Fortunately I had told the two classes that were affected that their might be some changes on Friday. Do ya think?27 By the time the day ended I was a bundle of nerves. Fortunately I had a ball game to watch, and it was a good one.28 Still, in the back of my head I knew that I was going to need a large adjustment on lesson plans, much more than normal.29 I didn't sleep well Friday night, so Saturday morning I felt like a dry towel at the bottom of a box of laundry.30 Moving on, Part the First: Ah, if those are my only troubles, I got no troubles.31 Situation normal.32 I spent all day Saturday in personal rehab, surrounding myself with pacing guides, grammar books, calendars, text books, and papers, having decided that I had better go in Monday with with all jets working.33
34 It's all good. I had spent Friday running through about sixty lanes of fast traffic and somehow survived, as always.35 Sometime around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, I found myself bathing in the rays of my flat screen. The film was the 1938 classic Marie Antoinette, starring Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power, with John Barrymore as the stoic King Louis XV, and a dribbling Robert Morley perfectly cast as Louis XVI.36 I watched it with my right eye closed, only to find it open slightly on this line by Marie, early in the film: "Oh, mama, just think of it! I shall be queen! Queen of France!"37 Great line.38 Most people don't know a lot about Marie Antoinette, but one thing is certain: the enthusiasm on Norma Shearer's face as a sixteen-year old excited teenager can only lead one to her ultimate destiny.39 Most people do know of Marie Antoinette's ultimate destiny.40 If you don't, no need to lose your head over it.41 <groan>42 Moving on, Part the Second: Sorry about that one. I was feeling a little frisky.43 No harm done.
44 I stayed all on it the entire weekend and feel pretty ready for this next week.
45 Life, as they say, looks like easy street.
46 It's the first days that are the hardest days, right?
47 Anyway, it's Monday.
48 We're goin' in.
49 Fly low.
50 Peace.
~H~
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