testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

I am a test-taking Nazi.

Here are my rules when kids come to take a test in the library: [please note: I have never yet known these kids were coming beforehand, and I think the teachers don't care if they cheat, because why else would they send 6 kids down the hall together with tests in their hands? I was in high school once, I know what goes on.]
1. Students must sit facing walls ie they cannot face each other and therefore are not tempted to cheat. Which is what I tell them, although I know they think I am just trying to annoy them.
2. No bathroom breaks where you can potentially memorize the letters written on your arm that correspond with your scantron sheet.
3. If you keep coughing I am going to think it's code for a, b, c, etc and yell at you.
4. Same thing if you keep tapping your pencil, hands, feet on the table, floor, chair.
5. Do NOT make eye contact with anyone but me. This is usually avoided by #1.
6. When you are done with the test, give it to me, and I will turn it in for you to your teacher. What, did you think after all that I was going to let you walk down the hall together and compare answers?

Please.

Things I will not miss about my job:

1. getting coughed/sneezed on DAILY
2. teaching 30 classes/over 600 kids a week
   
3. saying the same thing a million times a week because of how many kids i teach
4. not having any time to get library work done [see #2]
5. meetings...sometimes 5 days a week! [see #4]
6. giving out grades that are completely arbitrary and pointless
   
7. relying on an assistant and 15+ parent volunteers to do my job [see #4 yet again]
8. being the 'exception' at librarian meetings ie: 'this does not apply to you because you have no time to do this...' [see #2 and #4]
9. teaching only 20 min less per day than a classroom teacher [again that pesky #4!]
10. no time to co-plan [see #8]
11. no time to co-teach
12. kindergarten classes 10x/week for 40 minutes each
13. pulling my hair out every week trying to figure out what exactly to do with 2 special needs classes that come to see me [together] for 40 min, for which i have absolutely no training
14. trite conversations with people that don't really care
15. working with 4 different budgets that go through 10 different people, when all i am trying to do is buy what is needed/wanted by staff/students
16. my sore throat that has been hanging on since teaching day one this school year [see #1 and #2]
17. 'the framework for continuous improvement' which just results in even more meetings
    

i'm so productive.
i went to barnes and noble and enjoyed a comfy chair and coffee while i worked for over 3 hours.
and even though i have a LOT of work left to do before class next weekend,
i am not stressed!
amazing!
i'm actually really excited about the work ahead of me.
to quote my friend Crystal, who knew??

1-10-08

i feel attacked

pressured

and like i am being forced into something i don't want to do

i don't think people know this about me

but i HATE being told what to do

especially on such a large scale

why does everyone care about money so much?

i find it ridiculous

and disgusting

that my $43,000 salary can't buy me a home

or help me raise a family

and that i 'need to' or 'should' be trying to make as much money as i can

and my husband makes that much too

so really, then everyone is saying

our $80,000+ income

isn't enough?

we need to make six figures in order to survive?

to buy a house?

to AFFORD to have children?

i don't want to AFFORD to have kids

i just want to have them

and stay home with them

in our HOUSE

i don't want to waste

time

money

effort

on a degree that I DON'T EVEN WANT.

F you and your degree requirements

all of you

hooray for today

1. I love my new glasses.

2. My new principal rocks.

3. I have more people on my book fair committee than any other year [thanks to #2 above].

4. The weather is absolutely lovely - it finally feels like autumn!

5. Tomorrow is a day off that I really need and plan on thoroughly enjoying.

[too excited to think of a good title!]

I am bursting with excitement. I have an amazing weekend planned, when I get to see many [so many] people that I don't see very often.

For the first 24 hours it's just me and my twin, who I haven't seen for almost 2 months, which is way too long.

My camp Bible study partner is coming to stay with us Saturday night. And I just love her.

And Sunday is the big camp reunion, precious, wonderful people that I usually only see once a year. This year I am lucky to see them again!

'I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...'

On another note, and another reason to be excited, is this: tomorrow at school we have open house, where parents/students can casually come and visit the school, their teachers, etc. I find I am really looking forward to seeing some families that I have not seen since June, and also I'm excited to meet new families.

I need to get to bed!