A day from....

Today was perhaps the most stressful day of the year.  It begins with a meeting about test prep for our students.  For the next month we are basically going to drill and kill.  Fun, fun, fun!  The rest of the morning was pretty good.  Then lunch duty hits.  Second graders-About 200 of them!  One other teacher and myself are responsible for their well-being in there.  There is this rule when its time to throw out their trash that they need to bequiet.  I and the other teacher were tired of telling them to bequiet, since its pretty impossible, so we decided- let them talk!  Well, the talking has turned into yelling and almost mass chaos.  Today on the mic I warned the little rascals that they needed to whisper to each other or it would be quiet time again starting tomorrow.  They did not listen and were so loud, I had to yell on the mic for them to hear any directions.  I HATE YELLING!  I am totally not a yeller.  I left lunch duty very, very stressed.

I must have looked the part too, as a teacher in the hall asked, "Did you just come from lunch duty?"

Laughing, I respond, "Yes, can you tell?"

This lead to a conversation about how stressful this duty is, as the teacher who stopped me also has lunch duty with 5th grade.  I was so fired up I emailed the vice principal about this ridiculous dilemma.  He's coming tomorrow to talk to the students, but I already forewarned him in the email that when he speaks to the students, all will be well.  As soon as he leaves, all hell will break loose.

Ahhh....and then a teacher that I have combined my class with, and myself, decided to try Glogster with our students.  There is an edu. version.  We thought it was a cool way to integrate technology into language arts.  After finishing a historical fiction unit, the students get to create a poster that is filled with text, graphics, video, and sound.  Basically, a book report in the 21st century.  Well, can you guess what happened?  Everything imaginable with the laptops!  Unable to log on, dead battery, unable to log on to the website, sllllooowww to upload anything, etc., etc., etc.  It's so frustrating when technology goes awry.

So, the afternoon continued in the manner of the previous situations.  At least I went to the gym to de-stress.  I feel a little better.  I have surrendered to the emotion.  Almost.