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Just When I Miss the Classroom...

... I remember things like this.

Monday, February 19, 2007


My evaluator is afraid of the gecko.

I realize that this shouldn't bring me pleasure, but it does. (Especially because his teeth are probably the size of an ant's brain. They're teensy.) Jesus wouldn't feel happy and superior because His evaluator was afraid of the gecko. But I do.

It's not entirely fair to take out all my frustration on my evaluator. Some of it is actually just way too many years (sad when 8 years is way too many) in the district, which is entrenched in negativity, dysfunction, failure, and hopelessness. Does that sound dramatic? Probably. But I think it's true. (Lindsay, you were there, what do you think?)

But she is doing her part to earn my defensiveness and ire. Apart from the things I have already talked about, with my not-so-good evaluation and such... last week she was trying to schedule
an observation with me. Note that word, schedule. Because it is a SCHEDULED formal observation. I'm supposed to turn in a lesson plan for the lesson that she is going to observe, we discuss it, she comes to observe me, and then she tells me again that I have no student work up and the kids are not calm enough or something like that.

We exchanged three or four emails about the date of my observation, with me asking for the time as well. This is because she wants a lesson plan, and, like all teachers, I teach different things at different times of the day. In fact, I am required to teach different subjects at different times of the day.

She says we'll discuss the time when I give her the lesson plan.

I point out that I can't give her the lesson plan until I know what lesson she wants to see.

She says this is what we discuss when I give her the lesson plan... you see the pattern here.

In addition to the complete and utter lack of logic, we have a minor problem scheduling the time for me to hand her the lesson plan (I've decided to take the strategy of making a really lousy lesson plan so that I'm not wasting my time - it took me about 2 minutes). She tells me that all my suggestions for meeting times don't work for her, and can I meet her at 3:00 on Friday in her office. OK, fine. Guess who's NOT in her office at 3:00 on Friday! It's shut and locked.

I went down to the main office to look for her and a few other teachers were standing around and told me that she had left 10 minutes before. I emailed her right away and haven't yet heard from her. No idea if I'm getting observed tomorrow, or on what, but it would be JUST like my district for me to get observed and be "marked down" for not turning in a lesson plan.

In the meantime, to try and preserve a tiny bit of sanity, I am trying to remember that I love the kids and that I have sick days to use up this year so I don't die, and I'm hoping and praying that people keep reading this and find out what kind of craziness is going on in the public schools. At least in this particular district.

One year ago: Contract

Three years ago: A Dubious Slogan

Four  years ago: Construction
                         The Gecko is Growing Up

Five years ago: Praise the Lord, a Kid Got Helped!
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