my new "room"

I'd like to introduce you to my new "room." I just moved in today. It comes with 4 wheels, two shelves and a comfortable push handle. Don't you wish you could have a room like this, too?

The cart pictured above is what will be my "room" for the rest of the year. I officially got the boot today during lunch, when the principal and three scruffy looking men in bib overalls and ball caps on their head burst through my door giving me the bad news. The three men in overalls were, of course, the people that both the principal and I were hoping would simply forget about this job and never come, but they remembered and brought with them several boxes with equipment inside. These men were here to wire and network my room for the computers.

I scrambled to figure out where to hold my 6th and 7th periods and the librarian offered the library tables. After packing some stuff and hauling all the literature books (pictured on the bottom of my new "room"--which I recieved after school) to the library, I prepared myself to start my adventure as a traveling teacher.

6th period, the most sympathetic of my students, came in and got to work without much trouble. It was distracting, however, to have another class going on using the computers. I was prepared for 7th to be much the same.

But I was mistaken. Just before 7th period started, some students came in and started to "set up" for the Academic Games, which takes place each Tuesday after school. (Academic Games are for the really smart kids; they answer questions about various subjects while in competition with another school...kind of like a spelling bee, only for all subjects). Thus, I didn't have the library for 7th period anymore.

Again, I scrambled to figure out a place to take my 7th period students so I rushed to the office, talked to the principal who gave me a solution and then rushed back to the library to pick up my students. We went into another English teacher's room, right across from my old room. This little chaotic beginning led nicely into a chaotic middle and end of 7th period--they took this as a chance to not work.

Then they all decided that they were going to protest and picket in front of the office chanting things like "No, No, We won't go!" with signs that said, "Give Hubert a Room!" They could tell I was, as they put it, "P.O'd!" (pissed off) and were confused that the principal seemed to not care about me being "P.O'd!" (I explained that he was very sympathetic and appologetice and that there really wasn't any other choice or option). The majority of them didn't do much in the way of work, but they were quiet and understood my frantic behavior.

I had two very polite Polynesian boys help me haul all my stuff back to my old room (again, before I recieved the cart) and then shut my door and had a mini break down with tears the size of peas and hyperventalating breath. I managed to calm myself in time to meet with the principal to set up a schedule for the rest of the week and then make it to teacher book club.

It is just barely 7 o'clock and I just walked inthe door. I stayed late to pack my old room into my new "room" and finalize lessons for tomorrow. My new schedule is posted on my door. On my way home I stopped and bought the most expensive big whiteboard I could (it's not technically my money, rather I'll be reimbursed for it) so that I could write my daily agende, objectives, and Bell Work on it (since I don't know if the rooms I'll be in will have white board space).

Needless to say, it's been a most fascinating day and I'm just pleased as punch to get back to school tomorrow to break in my new "room."

And I'm going to indulge myself in a little American Idol. Ha.