By Garrett Hedman

At our staff meeting one of my colleagues asked the principal, “So what’s going to happen Friday?” On the school’s calendar we have a furlough day (a day when everyone gets off and does not receive pay) scheduled for Friday, but the Superintendent made the decision to move the day to Monday so we have an extended Spring Break (not a bad choice). BUT, apparently there’s still a question as to whether or not it was an “official” furlough day, so school might be canceled Friday, or me might have a 60% day Friday, or AH!!

What does the administration say about this?

“You know…”

“what?”

“Just play it by ear.”

And that’s what I’ve been doing these past two days.
Yesterday, I was informed that my classroom would be used as the main site for packet pickup for teachers for the Writing Test a third of the school will be taking. Because my classroom is in use I officially had a mobile classroom day—every class is in a different room: no binders, no folders, no projectors, no power point, no clickers, no systems. Yikes!

I showed up today, and yes, my room was taken, but I also had to cover a class first block (my planning block). So frantically, I tried to make the copies for the day and enter in grades for the quarter. Someone copying an 8-page monster for 32 students backed up the one, working, teacher copier, but I managed. I think. And I made my way to the class I needed to cover.

God save the substitutes because covering a class is not easy. Students will test you.

“Can I get tissue?”
“There’s some on the table.” I made sure to know where the tissue was as I entered the classroom.
“That’s not enough.”
In my head I knew it was. She wanted to leave. Probably to go to another classroom sit down and talk with her friends. I knew. Didn’t have proof, but I knew.
“Okay. Write your name down and be back in 7 minutes.”
I said seven because it’s an odd number for students to hear. Usually, it’s 3minutes, but I say seven because 1) the students aren’t doing anything anyway and 2) I thought if I give them a little more time, they could see they’re friends and still make it back without protest.

Seven minutes passed and she didn’t come back.

An hour passed and her friend came into the classroom.
“I need to get Shalynda’s (Not her real name) personal stuff because she has a dismissal.”

Another lie. I assumed. Dismissals are always announced by the office, but students constantly use that excuse because teacher’s constantly accept the excuse. What’s her name again? The student repeated the name, and I checked the name with the one the student wrote down. She’s in the clear, but a follow up will be necessary.

Another hour passed with the class. Apparently, I’m not teaching second block today. Two students I let out stayed past after 7 minutes, and I had to talk with them.

They’re defense.

“I’m bored.”

I KNOW! Who isn’t stuck in this classroom? I didn’t say…

Behind the scenes, I completely understand why the administration is making these decisions.

Students in the halls = babies with a match = total chaos, which can’t be afforded when students are taking tests.

We went to lunch and the students implemented the “evade and hide” tactic. They know I don’t know who all of them are, so if they all split up, even though I said to stay together, there is no way I could get them all back to class. I wrote the student’s names down who came back to class, but I’m sure the ones that didn’t come will have little to no punishment for their actions.

We managed to switch to fourth block. Unfortunately, as my class and I made our way to my room the counselors were still using it. They recommended we go to the library for 10min and they’d call us when they’ve cleaned up. Ten minutes turned to 30min, 30min turned to an hour. I guess I just wasn’t supposed to teach today. By the time the counselors said we could come back we had one hour left of school.

I let my students make the decision. “Would you rather get ahead of the other classes by an hour and go back to class or just stay in the library.” 19 to 1 was in favor for staying the library. Some had taken the writing test, but most were held in classes all day, so doing nothing mentally exhausted them.

These days happen a few times a semester, and I’ve learned to “play it by ear”. I’m grateful for tomorrow—exhausted for today.