Normalcy

A full week of normal days and schedules has been a tremendous gift.  All week we've had regularly scheduled days and classes with little to no interruptions to the program.  We did have a fire drill - but during Advisory on Monday, so it really didn't disrupt the teaching flow.  It is amazing how well the days go when it's business as usual - and right now, I'll take all the usual I can get.

Having had bronchitis for the last three weeks and dealing with the fallout of my mom's nursing home placement, I have been compelled to show up at school.  It's such a challenge to carry on sometimes, when one's mind, body and soul are just not into the groove of teaching.  I've said it all along - it is easier to go to work than to send lesson plans when teachers are sick.  So much of what I do is ingrained in me that to write it all down is almost impossible. 

Before I left to help my family with the nursing home weekend on Sept. 23, I sketched out the overview for the whole month of October - knowing that detailed lessons plans would be very necessary if I had to stay in Newport News for an extended period of time.  I had not had the opportunity to train and solidify the newspaper or yearbook staffs in their protocol and direction for the year.  What I had done - over the last five years - was to prepare the staffs for the inevitable day that I would have to leave, not knowing when I would return.  Seniors knew the plan - who to call, what to do, how to carry on without me, no matter what.  And it felt good to know they were ready to step up to the plate.

I only had to miss three days, but during my absence all of the players did their jobs and we are on track today.  It is such a pleasure to work in a place that understands that family must come first.  The support I feel from my DRHS family of colleagues and the parents of my students is a huge burden off my shoulders as I work through the details of this job.   And that I have a support team in place with Tammy, Ashby and Glenn is so huge to the yearbook staff.  Everyone did their part to make the staff feel successful during those days off.

This week has been huge in progress for both the newspaper and yearbook staffs.  Building pages, writing stories, rising above the challenges to become journalists.  I love the autonomy that the students have to lead their peers - and that I have the authority to give them the freedom to pursue this work.  Even my English 10 classes have leveled out - kids who have been discipline problems are starting to come around and two days of classes that have achieved every objective I have put before them is a pleasure to witness.  I have found my groove with this year's students, and I really like it.

It feels normal to move through the day now - to know their names, to feel connected to each student that I teach, to know their strengths and to challenge them to reach beyond their comfort zone.  I love my job right now.

And coming home at night, feeling at peace with my accomplishments is a great reward.

Surprises

I mostly love surprises, especially the good ones.  Today when I first awoke, I felt lethargic, so I rolled over and went back to sleep.  Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but for me, it is.  I haven't been able to sleep in for months.  I can't remember the last time I rolled over and went back to sleep - just like that.  But today I did.  And it was 10:30 when the groomer called to confirm Chelsea's appt. for today.  "OMG.  Can we put that back 30 more minutes?"  "Yes." 

So, I got up at 10:30, had my coffee, got dressed and delivered Chelsea girl to her spa day - DJ went along for the ride.  Then we came home and started with the to-do list for the day.  Best of all, I mostly knocked out the list - except for the grocery shopping and the hair cut, the rest is pretty much done.

Sometimes it's just the simple everyday ordinary chores that can give us the most pleasure.  I didn't overdo it today, I just kept on ... did the bathrooms, vacuumed, trash out, unloading and reloading the dishwasher and washing machine, basic stuff than needed to be done. 

It felt good. 

Aaahh, Friday.

I actually was home before 4:30 today.  On a Friday.  I used to go shopping on the way home on Fridays or out to happy hour with friends on Fridays.  Not anymore.  I just want to come home on Fridays now, and it is truly a luxury.

There was also the time when I would rush home, grab my stuff and hit the road on Fridays - those days were fun.  Meeting up with boyfriends; going to the beach with the gang; heading down to visit my parents and sister and having a home-cooked meal at my mom's kitchen table; even attending conferences with friends was fun.  I also used to have parties on Fridays.

Not anymore.  Now Fridays end with 10 minutes of commons duty watching kids make plans to do something they are not supposed to be doing.  Looking to see if one of my bosses is looking for me as I stand there to say "have a nice weekend" ... when I know I just want to pack up my stuff and leave or God forbid, hit the export button on my computer one more time to meet someone else's agenda item.

The up side to Fridays is two whole days off from teaching and talking to people who really don't know what I do, how I do it, what I think, what I care about.  Two whole days of doing stuff on MY agenda - taking care of me, my house, my animals, my family, my friends, my stuff.  Usually some good intentions are thrown in there (grading a few papers, cleaning out the cupboards or garage, making a delivery to Goodwill... something of that sort) and every now and then, that happens. 

More often than not, though, before I can put my butt in a chair I have retrieved the mail, fed the cat, played with the dogs, let them outside, poured a glass of wine, lit a cigarette, checked the phone, opened and logged on to facebook and scrounged for a snack and grabbed the bag of puppy treats.  That is my idea of being home.  Then for about 20 minutes I search and scan the computer for anything important that needs my immediate attention.  If not, I'm good for the night.  And on the weekends, I can start thinking about what I want to do.

Yes.  Fridays are good and likely the best day of the week. 

Columbus Day 2011

There was a time - long ago and far away in what feels like another galaxy - that teachers would get random days off or teacher work days to actually catch up and do work in our classrooms.  The students got the day off to play and rest, teachers got the day to do some filing, go out to eat with our peers, grade papers, plan lessons, you know, teacher stuff.  Those days are completely gone.

For some reason, the overpaid powers that be in the central office have decided they must justify their jobs by assigning teachers MORE to do, add more to our plates, and then make us do more than we already have time to do.  And then, after usurping our "teacher workday" with a bunch of crappy sessions that are completely irrelevant to our content areas, feeding (or not feeding) us badly planned meals, sending us to the school farthest away from our own adding to our frustration level earlier in the morning than we might normally be driving to work - we get to blog about it, search for a google doc to rate, rank or rant about what a horrible day we had.  Then we get to go back to work unprepared, annoyed and unrested from a frustrating day of nothing importantness. 

All of this has taken the fun out of being a teacher.  Heaven forbid we should LIKE our jobs.  I used to love my job.  And most days when I actually get to teach, have a planning period, get to sit at my desk and grade a few papers, actually think about what my students have accomplished on a given day, had a 25 minute lunch break with my peers, I do still like my job.  Unfortunately, those days are few and far between. 

For some reason, parents now feel a need to respond to every new number that lands in the gradebook, question every entry on the website (or missing one, as the case may be).  As a yearbook adviser, I get to field all of the stupid questions from parents about their little darlings' pictures, or explain that no, we are not selling or giving away pictures taken at every game or event for which we receive crappy pictures from a "professional" photography company.  Do these people have any idea how little time in my day I have to actually do MY job? 

I want my life back.  I want the job I love back.  I want my Columbus Day off.  So today, I took it back.  I am mowing my grass (that hasn't been mowed since school started).  I will do laundry (that hasn't been done in two weeks).  I will grocery shop for myself and my animals.  I will bathe the dogs.  I will take care of me today.  And I will be rested tomorrow, knowing that I did something for myself and my life. 

It's much like the adventure that Columbus took - how many years ago? 

Debit card fees

What?  Wait a minute there, Bank of America.  You say you are going to charge me $5 per month to use my money with the debit card you want me to have?  What's up with that!?

Are you saying you want me to use my checks - which you are already charging me money to purchase, then $3 per month to write them, and now you want to charge me money for using MY money at stores?

In other words, you are saying you want me to deposit my money in your bank and NOT use it until the end of the month - after I have used your credit card all month to buy stuff, then pay off my balance in full with the money from my checking/debit account.

Why didn't you say so?  This is so freaking stupid.  It doesn't take rocket science to figure out what you are trying to do.  Circumvent the banking regulations by charging me money to use my money.  You must not really want my direct deposit - which costs you nothing to receive.  Maybe my employer can figure out a way to charge YOU money to receive my money - and give me a raise for putting my money in your bank.

Think about it.  I think I'll take the cash.

Trish Lyons

It's a new day.

So.  It's the first day of October, 2011.  A cool and crisp fall Saturday morning.  I am sitting in my kitchen looking out over the dappled sunny lawn where the leaves haven't really begun to collect yet, but I know they soon will.  It has rained most of the last ten days and everything is really green right now, and I am thankful for the sunshine and cooler temperature.  I am thankful for a weekend and a few days of down time in this crazy rat race this new school year has brought upon my world and my family.  I am also thankful for the fantastic meal I had last night at the Houndstooth Cafe, the first really good meal I've had there in months. 

I am thankful for the conversation that I just had with my Dad and Judy - they just finished a sausage & egg casserole breakfast that I made for their freezer choices and were putting their to-do lists together for their Saturday morning routine errands.  Today they will visit Mom at the Newport, go to the grocery store, come home and put away Judy's must-have Lean Cuisines and lunch items, then head back out to the mall for Judy's hair appointment, food-court lunch and monthly birthday card purchases.

I am thankful for my father's stamina and determination, yet sad that he must endure what is probably the hardest time in his life, unsurrounded by the love that we all know our family has for him.  He has loved Ginny Howland for 68 years, and just when he loves and needs her the most, she is elsewhere in mind and body, not understanding what is happening to her and it is killing my dad.  The irony of it all, the questions of why or how could such an unfair disease exist in a world that God created pound in my thoughts and make me wonder why.  There is no answer.  

I search and pray for peace of mind - for all of us in this absolutely unfair situation we now find ourselves.  New solutions and conversations are musts in this new day. 

The only thing that comes to mind is love.  Continue to love - and remind myself, my Dad, my sister and my Mom that love will find a way.  I don't know how, but it has to.

To that I say:  At least I can do that.