Walking and Talking

"I woke up this morning with my mind, set on freeeedom" the kids sang during our morning meeting. "Woke up this morning with my mind, set, set on freeeedom...".

It was such a great class. I really couldn't believe it. I walked home, physically patting myself on the back, mentioning to myself: "Man, you are such a good teacher...". I couldn't believe it when I saw the observation document my boss gave me after viewing the same class. It hurt. I was shocked. Were we in the same room? It was obvious that she hates me and was willing to hunt for a negative. She free styled the form and had to go into the "comments" section to tear me down, as the criteria didn't exist on the check list. I guess I need to think about why someone would want to do that to me. And then I cried. And called a lawyer.

"Okay, you guys have to do two rows, there isn't enough room" I told my class during the tornado drill. "Oh God, we're going to have to put our faces in people's....". "I know. I'm sorry". I really was. I don't want to put my face in someone's ass either. I looked at the kid I had ACCIDENTALLY elbowed in the forehead a few minutes earlier. A cherry red goose egg was forming. "Here, throw that ice pack on the ground and kind of, you know, rest on it" I instructed him. "Oh God, someone farted!" one of the kids muttered. It really did smell like shit. "Hey guys, come up for air real quick, I know it smells bad down there. Okay, go back down, fast, they're looking" I responded.

I didn't realize my new home and situation would be so temporary. It makes me kind of sad. The pretty green Southern neighborhood. My long skinny house. The barely getting used to something that is going away again. Something new! Again.

"And what is the theme of this basket?" the parent volunteer asked the second grader as the kids promoted their items for the next fund raiser. "New Year's revolutions" the child said proudly.

"I'm walking and talking with my mind, set, set on freeeedom..." I found myself singing as I walked through the school. "Walking and talking with my mind SET, SET on freeeeedom...".

After five straight hours, I finally finished all 370 report cards. It was grueling, especially because I took a TJ approach and decided not to pass everyone and honestly assess the situation. I walked to the front of my house and checked the newspaper on my computer. "MUBARAK STEPS DOWN" the headline read.

New Year's revolutions. I couldn't agree more.