my role

I haven't been here for a while... off playing the role I think God put me on this planet to play... the role of the squeaky wheel.

I hate this role. I really try to avoid it most of the time. I try to stay in my classroom, mind my own business, keep my head down and my mouth shut... but it is so danged hard when you bump up to bureaucratic mubbly-jub.

We have staff development meetings every Wednesday afternoon. Some are worth going to, some not. I have taught myself to do breathing exercises through the trying meetings... I used to knit, but was told I could not do that any more. I'm usually okay there. Learned not to roll my eyes, keep my mouth shut, fill in the evaluation sheet in a non-committal way... I survive.

But this year we have staff meetings twice a month after the staff development meetings. These meetings are technically after school and for the last several weeks I have one appointment or another after school on Wednesday... so while I make the first meeting, I have not been attending the latter. Personally I find it no big loss, but my principal stopped me Wednesday and asked me about it.

I told her I had doctor appointments...
She said, Every Wednesday?
I told her I was working through chronic pain issues.
She said I needed to make these meetings.
I told her I could go to most of my appointments after school on Wednesday, or I could take one day off a month...
She told me she would send me a meeting schedule
and today, I sent her my doctor appointment schedule for September... honestly, some of these appointments I scheduled two months ago...

but here is the thing, the first meeting I missed I asked what had gone on and was told she (the principal) told us about the new initiative to improve teacher attendance... if we have perfect attendance for a nine week period we get to wear jeans the last day of the quarter... oh, goody! And that they watched the blood born pathogens film. The next day I got the film from the nurse, watched it... and tried to forget I had ever heard the blue jeans thing...
the second meeting I missed... yesterday's meeting... the meeting where you needed to sign in to prove that you were there... announced that the vice principal had moved on to greener pastures, that the student advisor had moved into the asst. principal role, and that the last eighth grade teacher was finally found... and oh, we could all stay for going-away cake. I understand this took 45 minutes.

I hate to have my time wasted... hate it. I began to feel my self-control crack... So while I did send my appointment schedule as an attachment to the principal, I couldn't quite help telling her that I had been told last night's meeting announced Mr. B's departure and some cheerful going-away cake and that I trusted in the future meetings would be about meatier stuff...

You know, tomorrow she will want to have a talk with me. I think I am rather looking forward to it.

love and peace