Every Day is a Big Day

I planned my day around my trip to the gym, which was to happen at 8 o'clock, so that I could watch Lost while running on the treadmill. Everything else was planned backwards from that moment.

I woke up later than I had wanted, just like every day. I quickly packed up the car with chili making supplies because that was my after-school plan - making chili at the church for our Bluegrass concert tomorrow. I couldn't leave 8 lbs of meat in my car during the day so I had to bring it in the school with me. Thankfully, noone made a comment about my bag-o-meat.

I rushed to complete some tasks in my prep hour. However, I was called twice TWICE! to the office in 10 minutes to talk to the parent of a student. I was teased throughout the day for having been called to the office. They actually announced, "Will Mr. _____ please come back to the office?" I can't emphasize how much I did within the first period. I was on fire.

My morning freshman algebra classes were their normal hectic selves. I lectured students on poor behavior. I mocked them for whining that exponents are too hard and we "only" spent a week on them. I was cussed at. I saved a student from a spider. I held their fragile egos in balance while I told them they had to work harder if they were to succeed. I taught them scientific notation. I learned about googolplexes from one of them. And I kicked a girl out of class for telling me, in much more vulgar terms, to "Eat a cat, you female dog ."

I subbed for another "teacher" during my resource hour. Her class is currently watching Gran Turino. This raised so many questions for me. 1.) What does this movie have to do with Civics? 2.) How is the language/violence/themes appropriate for these 9th graders? 3.) Where did she get this boot-legged movie? 4.) What is she teaching and not teaching her students?

In the afternoon, I teach an elective class for upperclassmen. Today's afternoon was eaten up by the Black History program, which I did not attend. I had a few students in each of my classes that did not want to attend, so I stayed back with them. We prepared for the chapter test that's being given tomorrow. I gave them a review packet, but they could do whatever they wanted to do. Most of them caught up on assignments that they had missed. Yesterday a student told me that they should have today off because they shouldn't be punished for not participating in the Black History program. I told him that I was concerned about Black Future, so we're going to have something to work on.

Also, the Black History program is a joke. I overheard someone say that he plays Michael Jackson in the show. I had a similar reaction as Emma Thompson has in Love, Actually when she finds out that her daughter is the first lobster in the nativity play. Perhaps, MJ is in the show because historically he was black.

The afternoon was actually fun. The kids that stay behind are good students and they get some appreciated attention. I get a chance to relax and have some nice conversations with them on days like today.

Right after school, I talked to the department chair and caught up on some school gossip. Next year the school is going to be split into 4 small learning communities. Today they announced our assignments. The department chair told me that they're thinking to ask me to be my community's facilitator. I don't know what that means besides a leadership role. I will be in my 3rd year and I'm the first choice for leadership out of 20 veterans. No wonder our school is falling apart.

I quickly put together my plans for tomorrow.

I went to the church and made chili. I met several people from the Narcotics Anonymous group. Well, they are anonymous no longer to me.

Then I went to the gym, which is what my day was planned around. It's Thursday. Lost is on Wednesday nights.

I enjoyed the following until the short moment in the Swamp of Sorrow.