School starts at 7:20 at my school, and the teachers have to be there at 6:50 AM. I am seriously considering filing a federal case charging an infringement of my 8th amendment rights - being at school this early seems like a cruel and unusual punishment. In addition, isn't there some kind of research that states that teenagers need like 23 hours of sleep a night to be functional? It is clearly detrimental to their education and my mental health to be forced to be at school this early. True, we get out at 2:03 and I can leave school property at 2:30, but still! Like I actually leave that early ever? Maybe on the last day of school, but normally I am at school until 4:30 or 5:00. And on Friday mornings, we have late starts - for the kids - at 9:00. Teachers still have to be at school at 6:50, but to make it more interesting, we have to be in a meeting from 6:50 to 8:20. Normally that 6:50 start time is pushed to 7:00, but that is still really really early to be all staff developed and stuff.
All this to say that Friday morning we were instructed to be sure to be in our allocated seats no later that 6:50 as the superintendent was going to be present to see how we were doing and what we were learning in our little meetings. I was present on time and yet no more than 3 of my fellow teachers were there at that time. Ten minutes later, we finally started, even though there were only about 12 people in the room (there should be about 25). We were talked at for an hour and a half and although we were supposed to get out at 8:20, the last speaker was still talking at 8:40. I finally left, since I had to make copies or I would not have been able to teach class that day. On top of all that, I was so tired during the meeting that I kept almost drifting off, which is rude, and I HATE, since I hate it so much when the kids do that.
This is probably the hardest time of the year for me. November and December are rough in school time, as it is the time of the year when the kids no longer sort of behave because they are new and yet the most annoying ones haven't yet been kicked out for punching someone in the library, starting a gang fight in the commons or organizing a prostitution ring based on hall passes (all things that have happened at the school I now teach at...although not this year - yet). The new is worn off and it's not close enough to the end of anything, like the end of the semester, Spring Break, or the end of the school year.,
Ah well, things will improve, they always do. I have something fun planned for next week, we have designed some lessons around the Black Death, which is fascinating, and the kids will love it since it involves blood, gore, and disgusting bodily functions.
PS.....I really want a Blackberry Storm.
4 comments:
I'm having a rough time with my class as well, although none of those issues, thank goodness!
It seems the parents are otherwise occupied and can't be bothered to see that their child does homework. 13 out of 27 of them had at least one missing assignment last week. CRAZY! And that's not even discussing the number of stupid behavior issues I'm constantly dealing with.
And 6:50? You're right...that's just unconstitutional. We have to be there at 7:45, I cannot even imagine an hour earlier!
Random about the Blackberry, but made me chuckle. Love the mention of being "talked at". It is so true in those meetings. Yuck that you have them EVERY WEEK.
In the one (yes, one) we had this year, some brain science lady came and said that teens should not start school earlier than 9 am. She said research shows that for every ten minutes longer they can sleep it equals 2 IQ points. Imagine the points your kids are missing out on! It was super interesting.
blood and gore get them all the time! thx for stopping by my blog today!
Still trying to play catch up and give thanks for stopping by and saying hello on my SITS day! I hope you have an enjoyable (and probably much needed) break from school over the holiday! Sounds like you have earned some sleeping-in time:)
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