>I woke up Friday morning and didn’t feel the dread that used to envelop me after a difficult day. What was the difference? Location, location, location.
School personnel talk about building climate, and we don’t mean the heating and cooling systems. The current climate in my building is one of support and collaboration. My rough day was shared by others, and we got together to take positive action for change. Those changes were for kids, and we teachers were simply the means to the child-friendly end. Exhausting, yes, it was. I faded quickly after supper and didn’t even do my homework. Shhh…don’t tell my class!!
Now — yesterday, I woke up and went through my morning routine not whistling a happy tune, but at least looking forward to the day ahead. When I got to school, I had to let the bread supplier in the building. Poor guy was out there standing at the locked door in below-zero wind chill. Then I loaded two reams of paper into the copier as long as I was waiting for it to warm up. As I left the copy room through the cafeteria, a young girl had arrived at school much too early, so the chief cook and bottlewasher (don’t call her a lunch lady!) invited the girl to help set up for breakfast. It’s considered a privilege to Work Lunch or Breakfast, so this girl was smiling and feeling important.
Later that morning, the principal came zooming by and closed a few strategically located doors, letting us know that we should be prepared to secure the building if need be. I hurried my kids out of the gym and to the room, and they cooperated (for a change). Fortunately, the threat never became real, but I was relieved to know that my bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, bouncy bunch could handle a quick change like this without falling apart.
There were more issues and incidents throughout the day. It wouldn’t be teaching if a few memories weren’t created each day! But in the big picture, while I didn’t forget the difficult Thursday, I didn’t need to move to Australia, either.

>Clues that my day wasn’t exactly stellar:

• Getting out of the driveway was a major challenge (even for me!) because of the sheer size of the snowbanks.
• I ran a yellow light rather than stop at the Longest Light in Town on the way to buy coffee from Jo to Go. Don’t tell the liaison officer from my school. She thinks I’m a law abiding teacher-citizen.
• I touched base with five different staff members en route to the lounge to put my lunch in the fridge. At that point, I realized I was no longer holding my coffee.
• The secretary (she was a bright point in my day!) made an all-call announcement that there was a cup from Jo to Go sitting behind her desk rapidly cooling. Mine!! My hazelnut!!
• My students came in this morning with a major chip on their collective shoulders, making my work much harder and forcing me to be much meaner. Contrary to popular belief, “mean” is not good teaching.
• Two computers in the lab were not turned off properly last night, leaving my youngsters to cope and wait. I can troubleshoot, but I can’t speed up the network. Fourth graders do not wait well.
• Cardboard keyboard covers kept falling apart. I’ve asked and asked for replacements, but I haven’t gotten an answer — not even a definite no. I ran out of tape for repairs in the lab, and I’m doggone tired of fixing them every. single. lesson.
• Four kids didn’t have their reading homework done, and that’s an improvement over yesterday’s seven. !!!
• Instead of bringing a concern to the boss as a team, each team member ended up going in separately, therefore making the issue seem much less important.
• Even though I needed to work at my desk over lunch, I needed the break more. I went to the lounge to vent a little and relax a lot.
• Several students had put the chips back on their shoulders when they came back from lunch (see above). Not good.
• I had to threaten detention to get one student to stop clowning around as he blew his nose. You don’t want the details: trust me.
• A meeting was announced that I wasn’t certain included me, so I turned up just in case. Yes, it included me, but I didn’t have paper and pencil to take notes, so I’m sure I appeared clueless.
• The coffee I bought at 6:45 and rescued from the school office at 7:30 was still 1/4 full and totally cold when the dismissal bell rang.
• I drank it anyway.