I had 3 parent conferences today, thus rounding out my 5. Of my 5 kids (the sixth one is too new to have a conference) I got 3 moms and 2 sets of parents. I realized that all 5 of them live with both of their biological parents, although I am not sure if one set is married or not. It makes me sad that we are surprised when kids’ parents are still married to each other.

I had one father ask me what I meant by “alphabetizing” when I told him his son is very good it.

One mother mentioned to the classroom teacher that her son would like to be moved to Ms. Otherteacher’s class because he knows it is the “high” Literacy block. I tried to spend the conference letting her know, gently, that he was not even on grade level, and therefore not a candidate for being moved up (I teach the “middle” group). Of course, this was the same mother who asked if her son should be reading at home. When I told T this he said, “No, no, why would you want to do that? We’ve found that it actually fosters improvement.”

Then there is the mom who not only reads with her child each night, but follows along and keeps track of how she is doing. I gently (again) suggested that her daughter might enjoy reading more if it was less like school.

I won’t even get started on the couple who think their child is stupid.

Teacher funnies:
18. Meeting a child’s parents instantly answers the question, “Why is this kid like that?”

Random fact: I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher since I was a very little kid.

I love my job. Really I do. And most of the time, I even like my coworkers. Actually, I don’t think there is even one staff member I would say I “don’t like” (anymore, there used to be one, but we have reached an agreement). But just like everywhere, I don’t love them all.

Our staff meetings are the second Tuesday of the month (moved this week for conferences). The other Tuesdays are either free or some other kind of meeting. I try to knit during the meeting, so I won’t talk too much because it gets me in trouble. I have one coworker/friend who talks through the ENTIRE meeting. It is very distracting to sit near her. Fortunately she sat in another part of the room today.

Today we had an intruder alert drill. I have two classrooms connected by a fire door. One is my Literacy room and one is my Tech Lab. We all have a key that locks and unlocks our classroom doors. I keep the key in my purse in the lab. I asked the custodian for a second key to hide in my Literacy room, but he said I would have to take it up with my principal.

Today I timed myself. I started in my Literacy room when the alarm went off. I walked to the lab, got my key, locked that door, went back to the Literacy room and locked that door. It took me over a minute. Say I have kids in my Literacy room. I have to leave them alone in there with an unlocked door while I go next door to get my key and lock the door and then go back to lock the door in there. (Did I mention I am right next to the office and across from the front door?)

So today at our staff meeting when we debriefed about the alert I mentioned my desire for another key to hide in my 2nd room. I am concerned about carrying around my key because I don’t always have pockets, necklaces annoy me, and I tend to lose things. (I only mentioned the last one.) Principal said “I’ll look into that.” and moved over to his notepad to write it down. Then previously mentioned coworker/friend said, “Well, why should just one person have a second key? Then everyone should have two keys.” A teahcher sitting near me said, “Do you have two classrooms?” And self-centered coworker said, “What if [connected room teacher] isn’t in? I have to go in there to lock her door.” To which my principal said, “Well, I can’t go around handing out extra keys. I guess I will have to think about this.”

Think about what? I would like ONE extra key to hide. And what business is it of hers if I have two keys? How often is her next door neighbor not there? Cause I am the only one constantly in my two rooms, so if I am in one, no one is in the other.

It was so stupid. She just likes to argue. She is so contrary and self-centered.

I feel better just having written this.

Random fact: I have been on a school year calendar every year since I was 3.

One of our kindergarteners was just sent in from recess for punching another kid.

“It was a slow punch,” he said in his defense.

When asked who sent him in he said, “The one with the fat belly.”