Working without fear

Despite my close association with Cassie, I’ve always been one who really follows rules and I do what I’m supposed to. If Nick was a real stickler for rule and consequences I’m sure our house would remain spotless, but I digress. This post is about school. I’m loving my last year because there is no fear in me. I’ve always loved teaching, I enjoy my students and I’m good at my job.  Gradually over the last seven to ten years the job has changed do to governmental bureaucracy – they want my time spent on writing out lesson plans to prove I’m teaching, rather than spend my time teaching. The want me to spend my time testing the kids – on what I’m not sure, since testing seems to be all they want teachers to do, they are taking away any time to actually teach. I could go on but you get the general idea.

These days I’m feeling totally immune to the pressure and I’m just teaching, as well as having a little fun poking at the administration. Our vice-principal was making his way down our hall Friday doing observations. I think all teachers hate observations, Mollie had her first last week and although she was very nervous about it, all went well. I don’t like them, but it’s not like I have to worry now. But I do hate that he rifles through things on my desk – it’s like having someone go through my purse. I don’t even like people sitting at my desk and he actually writes in my planning book. That drives me insane!

My partner Megan becomes more frantic about this than I am – her OCD goes wild. She told me, "I think I’m putting a maxi-pad or a tampon on my desk just to embarrass him."  I loved the idea and that started me thinking. I quickly typed up the following and clipped it to my opened planning book:

Triggers to Psychotic Rages in

Menopausal women

Being observed

People sitting in my purple chair

People touching things on my desk

People writing in my planning book

Dirty looks

Looks of disapproval

People ignoring this list

He came in and sat in the back at first. He was impressed that I was using the computer cart – he well know my feeling that parking the kids in front of yet another screen. He said he was really impressed and I answered back, “I live to make you happy.”  Later he walked over to my desk and saw the note – he didn’t sit down or touch anything. He just gave me what was supposed to be a serious look and I just smiled back. Turning back to my desk he grabbed a sticky note pad that I had put prominently in the middle of my workspace and wrote, “good plans” and stuck it on the plan book, before he walked out shaking his head.

I have a feeling he thinks I’m not taking all this crap that goes on outside the focus of teaching kids too seriously, hmmm… wonder why?