Off to a start

I wouldn't call it a great start, but it was a start.

I couldn't find my mittens.  I considered maybe they were in my classroom.  They weren't.  Maybe they're in Nevada?  How could I lose my mittens?!?

It was 54 degrees in my classroom.  Bless the hearts of the voters who opposed the bond.  The wind chill made it 6 degrees outside.  I donned my gloves (usually I would wear gloves inside of mittens, but alas) and took a stop sign and went out to my post.  Matt was there.  He said, "Give me the stop sign and you go back inside."

The award for world's best principal goes to....

I was so grateful!

My computer was completely dead.  It was plugged in but I guess that plug wasn't working because it was dead.  Also I got a text from a parent that she wanted a meeting.  That's always a great way to start a morning when you are disoriented from trying to remember how to be a teacher again.

I also had morning recess duty, but since it was a balmy 14 by then, we had inside recess.

Riley did something to the heat and it started working with a vengeance.  By the afternoon it was 80 in my classroom and my students, wearing hoodies and sweaters, had lolling tongues and flushed faces.  

I talked to Riley again.  He explained that the system associated with my classroom (lucky me!) is worn out and it doesn't open when the heat is supposed to go on and it doesn't close once you open it. 

I had a student worriedly ask me when the next election is.  "November.  We will elect a new president then."

He said, "I'm afraid of Trump.  He wants to attack Mexicans."

I said I didn't think that was true (but the most recent thing I read about him was that he was once again making fun of John McCain's POW injuries so what do I know?).

Another student said, "I like Trump."

I said that no matter who we wanted or didn't want for president, the important thing was to be kind to each other about it.

A girl said, "Talking about Trump reminds me of a joke. Can I tell it to you?"

I said, "Is it appropriate for school?"  You never know.

She said, "Yes.  What do you get when you cross an elephant and a fish?"

I said, "What?"

"Swimming trunks!"

I like third graders.

Also, mid-day, I lost my voice.  My students would look at me askance and one of them said, "Teacher! It keeps getting worse!"

Then they tried to describe it to me, like I didn't know.  "Sometimes it goes really high and sometimes it goes really low and sometimes I can't even hear it."

We skipped read aloud time and I didn't participate in singing time.

Guess who needs a voice?  The teacher.