A very frequent saying that you'll hear floating around educational trainings and meetings is, "teachers make the worst students." I'd be offended if it weren't so true.
Rule: Electronic devices should be turned off in the classroom
Offense: Today was day 1 of AP training and I checked my phone probably four times an hour.
Excuse: I'm an adult and I'm waiting for a few important emails and texts. Plus, I can multi-task and was doing it discretely under my desk. Oh, and everyone else was doing it too.
Rule: No cheating
Offense: I fully plan on submitting a colleague's completed and approved AP syllabus to the College Board instead of putting the 25+ hours on creating my own.
Excuse: It's allowed, if not encouraged. Booyah. Technically it's not cheating- borrowing with permission, I guess.
Rule: Don't talk when others are talking
Offense: I wasn't actually too bad today (and try not to be ever), but as a whole, my people are terrible abut this and I saw it first-hand at the morning whole-group gathering.
Excuse: We are so used to be the ones in charge and being able to talk whenever we want, we forget that it's not "our turn." At least, for some of us. Others just don't give a crap.
Rule: Students should show up to class rested and enthusiastically ready to learn
Offense: I left the apartment today at 7 a.m. wanting to murder someone due to lack of sleep and not being pleased about spending four days in a classroom from 8:00-4:30, for free (for the record, there was no violence).
Excuse: It's my effing summer break! No excuse is needed, dammit. If you really need one, it's the dog's fault for not eating.
The kicker:
Rule: Finish all assigned reading in a timely matter
Offense: I've been "assigned" to read In Cold Blood for the sophomore AP classes I'm teaching this year and am reading more slowly than I have all summer. And it's an interesting book! But, it feels like a chore because it's a required (yes, I know, payback's a bitch).
Excuse: I've been extremely busy with house hunting, half-marathon training, and puppy wrangling. And since I'm going to be using it my classroom I need to know it well, which requires my full time and attention.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most hypocritical of them all?
I think when it comes down to it most people are super critical when put on the receiving end of their profession. Does it excuse the behavior? Absolutely not.
And yes, I will get my reading done. Really soon. Maybe tomorrow. Or Wednesday. For sure by Thursday.
Today is an incredibly important holiday- National Milk Chocolate Day. To celebrate, everyone should read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, or at least take a second to pay homage to one of the best children's books ever (shut up, peanut gallery). There's nothing better than Oompa Loompas- I love those little guys (almost as much as ewoks). Oh, and rivers filled with chocolate- seriously, get me a straw. Unfortunately, due to my self-imposed sugar cutback I had to commemorate this fine occasion with a No-Sugar Added Fudgesicle. Whoopdefuckingdo. Oh, and that stupid little brat Violet. What a whiny bitch. The only problem I had with this book when I was little was that the four grandparents slept in the same bed, head to foot. What if they wanted alone time? Anyway, I hope you find the golden ticket.
