Don't mess with us.....

From Jim today:

"Let me tell you about my day -

It started out well, we didn't have to pick up Fecundo. We always have to wait 20 minutes for this guy. How can a principal be late for school every day? By the way I call him Fecundo but his real name is Fecaudo. If your interested in an explanation look up fecund.

Yesterday I had set up 5 periods of instruction which is 2 or 3 more than the paid teachers work. "Paid teachers" is misleading at best as these truly wonderful and competent people make 200 dollars a month. First period worked well. I was having third grade kids rewrite their letters to Harper and Hana's class. They worked the entire period and then some. 2nd period I had arranged to give a spelling test and then take my 6 kids out for reading. However, the teacher had forgotten to tell me that she had changed reading to first hour but was wondering where I was. It is now break time and the kids and teachers get half an hour off for some strange reason. Fecundo decides this is a great time to call a staff meeting to discuss garden vegetables. Nothing wrong with this except the meeting runs until 11:30 which is all of 3rd hour. I am scheduled for a 15 minute spelling test in this class also and then I was going to take 6 kids for reading instruction. Of course, there are no teachers in any of the classrooms so I ad lib a 45 minute lesson while the teachers are learning about vegetables. I hope they learned something about the turnip who is running the school. The teacher returned at the end of class and gave me a shrug to explain Fecundo. She was happy I gave the test and for my ad lib which the kids seemed to enjoy even though they think mouse rhymes with rat. I don't think there is a Amharic equivalent to rhyme.

Foolishly I think nothing else can happen today, I go to Prep A where all goes well. I read a Dr. Seuss story and work a little with magic e words. Then I move to fourth hour with the second grade where I am to simply read a story for 15 minutes and then observe Miss Hanna for the rest of the period. However, Miss Hanna doesn't show. She is hugely pregnant so I assume she went into labor in the library or somewhere. So once again I improvise a lesson. This time I do a zenn diagram comparing and contrasting Yertle the Turtle, Green Eggs and Ham and Gertrude McDuff all of which I have read to them. It actually was a good lesson. Miss Hanna returned near the end of class and apoligized. Fecundo had called her into the office to talk about her staying an extra week. So it goes."


So, it wasn't such a good day to send me details of his bad day. I fired back with this email:

"Well Dad, let me tell you about my day. I had my 6 month review with my principal - it appears that I am great and am recommended for tenure, but the job will not be available next year. I was expecting this as the other para told me she had her review earlier in the week and was told the stimulus money is gone. Also - I was wearing my pajamas at work today because it is Dr. Seuss week and today was reading/pajama day. These are obnoxious pajamas - bright blue flannel with dogs and bones on them. Nice day to meet with the principal - ironic, as pajamas are what I'll be wearing every day next year if I can't find another job. I resisted the urge to put my slippered feet up on her desk and lean back as I was being let go.....

This afternoon I arrived at my 5th grade class to collect my students for reading groups. The door was closed so I let myself in. It was silent in the room and the district nurse was at the front of the class. I then notice the class is all boys and they all turn around to stare at me. The teacher quickly ushers me out and tells me there will be no reading groups today because the boys are learning about "changing". The district nurse grabbed me in the hall later and told me I had interrupted right as she was explaining nocturnal emissions. I don't imagine seeing a fat 40 year-old in her pajamas burst into their classroom is going to trigger any dreams for these boys this weekend!!"

So - don't mess with us people. We've had a bad day :(