If doctors make the worst patients then I guess it would follow suit that teachers make the worst students.
Not surprisingly enough, it seems this is, in fact, the case. Today was an "in service day" - a loathsome term if there ever was one. It's really just a euphamistic phrase that means, "The kids don't have to be in school by 7AM but YOU DO." I have my theory that "in service day" was coined years after the profession of teacher was established. Riots and vandalism of a most profane order was probably the result of requiring teachers to be in school when the students didn't have to. "In service days" apparently circumvented the ritualistic spilling of blood that followed such announcements. And yet the grass still grows, the sun still rises in the East, and love springs eternal...
Still, watching teachers in the role of students is amusing. The moment the speaker started, any knuckle-dragging troglodyte could tell evil was afoot in the ranks of my peers.
"Who the fuck does he think he is?"
"What is this crap? What exactly does SPECIAL INTEREST mean?"
"It doesn't mean a thing. He hasn't defined it. He doesn't even know."
These were all overheard by me and we had only been there 30 minutes. About an hour into the presentation I began to hear a dripping noise behind me and saw a pool of red liquid forming at my feet. Apparently the sacrifices had begun anew so I didn't dare look back. We'll find out who it was at the next staff meeting, I suppose.
The fun part was when we were split into teams and asked to address the problems of communication inherent in the organizational structure of the school. "Brainstorming" was the buzzword of the day so we were asked, I guess, to solve the mess that "others" had created, since, obviously, no one would admit, "Yes, yes...Really the fault lies soley with me. I am the reason the communication at this place is one big cluster-fuck. My ineptitude and apathy knows no bounds."
When we presented our findings the ugly side of the human spirit was revealed. At the suggestion we receive notification of any student's medical/cognitive "special needs" along with a follow-up meeting, the following exchange occurred:
"But you get those at the beginning of the year."
"Yes, but that's before you even know the child."
"So why don't you save them? That's your JOB to do so."
"Well sure, we'll just file them away for four weeks and then later schedule a period of time - because we have so much of it that's free - to peruse the list at our leisure while sipping tea and munching on biscotti. Yeah - that's a GREAT system. It's worked so very well thus far."
"Well I've never had a problem. All you have to be is organized and you'll find it'll work, too."
*sigh*
We tell our students we're preparing them for the real word - that is why we demand they respect us and each other. We tell them there are rules to our classroom and they must obey them. We tell them that life is this way, too. We chastize them for not behaving like ADULTS.
In reality, when we hear them refer to each other as a "faggot", or don't pay attention to the teacher, or don't do what's asked of them what we should tell them is to stop acting LIKE an adult.
======================================
Favorite overheard student comment of the week: (by a 17 year-old girl, no less)
"Don't you ever fantasize about having an affair with an older man? You know, like a married man."
=======================================
Oh, right, I forgot to mention: I'm flying off to Denver for the weekend. It's Chinese new-year, so I'll be celebrating it w/ my fiancee and her family (she was born and raised in Denver). We'll also be doing some wedding-planning for the impending August nuptuals.
And, of course, the Iggles are in the superbowl while I'm going to be in Denver.
What are the odds....the first time in 24 YEARS that the Eagles return to the Superbowl and I won't be able to watch it w/ my friends in Philly.
Oh, well. I'll talk to you all when I get back on Tuesday.
GO EAGLES!!!
Not surprisingly enough, it seems this is, in fact, the case. Today was an "in service day" - a loathsome term if there ever was one. It's really just a euphamistic phrase that means, "The kids don't have to be in school by 7AM but YOU DO." I have my theory that "in service day" was coined years after the profession of teacher was established. Riots and vandalism of a most profane order was probably the result of requiring teachers to be in school when the students didn't have to. "In service days" apparently circumvented the ritualistic spilling of blood that followed such announcements. And yet the grass still grows, the sun still rises in the East, and love springs eternal...
Still, watching teachers in the role of students is amusing. The moment the speaker started, any knuckle-dragging troglodyte could tell evil was afoot in the ranks of my peers.
"Who the fuck does he think he is?"
"What is this crap? What exactly does SPECIAL INTEREST mean?"
"It doesn't mean a thing. He hasn't defined it. He doesn't even know."
These were all overheard by me and we had only been there 30 minutes. About an hour into the presentation I began to hear a dripping noise behind me and saw a pool of red liquid forming at my feet. Apparently the sacrifices had begun anew so I didn't dare look back. We'll find out who it was at the next staff meeting, I suppose.
The fun part was when we were split into teams and asked to address the problems of communication inherent in the organizational structure of the school. "Brainstorming" was the buzzword of the day so we were asked, I guess, to solve the mess that "others" had created, since, obviously, no one would admit, "Yes, yes...Really the fault lies soley with me. I am the reason the communication at this place is one big cluster-fuck. My ineptitude and apathy knows no bounds."
When we presented our findings the ugly side of the human spirit was revealed. At the suggestion we receive notification of any student's medical/cognitive "special needs" along with a follow-up meeting, the following exchange occurred:
"But you get those at the beginning of the year."
"Yes, but that's before you even know the child."
"So why don't you save them? That's your JOB to do so."
"Well sure, we'll just file them away for four weeks and then later schedule a period of time - because we have so much of it that's free - to peruse the list at our leisure while sipping tea and munching on biscotti. Yeah - that's a GREAT system. It's worked so very well thus far."
"Well I've never had a problem. All you have to be is organized and you'll find it'll work, too."
*sigh*
We tell our students we're preparing them for the real word - that is why we demand they respect us and each other. We tell them there are rules to our classroom and they must obey them. We tell them that life is this way, too. We chastize them for not behaving like ADULTS.
In reality, when we hear them refer to each other as a "faggot", or don't pay attention to the teacher, or don't do what's asked of them what we should tell them is to stop acting LIKE an adult.
======================================
Favorite overheard student comment of the week: (by a 17 year-old girl, no less)
"Don't you ever fantasize about having an affair with an older man? You know, like a married man."
=======================================
Oh, right, I forgot to mention: I'm flying off to Denver for the weekend. It's Chinese new-year, so I'll be celebrating it w/ my fiancee and her family (she was born and raised in Denver). We'll also be doing some wedding-planning for the impending August nuptuals.
And, of course, the Iggles are in the superbowl while I'm going to be in Denver.
What are the odds....the first time in 24 YEARS that the Eagles return to the Superbowl and I won't be able to watch it w/ my friends in Philly.
Oh, well. I'll talk to you all when I get back on Tuesday.
GO EAGLES!!!
VIEW 26 of 26 COMMENTS
norritt:
that profile pic rocks!
shiva8:
niiiice photo. you're so swank