So much fun

Kenneth was in a snit.

I was working with the 11th grade geometry classes. Amazingly, the second geometry class of the day was getting through the quiz successfully. The teacher and I had drilled midpoint of triangles down to "halve it or double it" and everyone was busy halving and doubling and getting problems correct (even Leona who had neatly copied someone else's answers onto her page -still I pushed her through the process she managed to produce the right steps )

I asked Leona -didn't it feel better to get the right answers herself, and I got a slight nod of ascent. Hey it wasn't much but it was more than I've ever gotten before.

Kenneth was at the back of the 11th grade classroom- steaming. Kenneth is not in 11th grade, he's a tenth grader. He had gotten thrown out of music,(for tapping) and landed in the geometry teacher's room. Now the music teacher is one of the kindest most patient teachers in the school and she's married to a drummer-and has a high tolerance for tapping. There was something else definitely going on.

Kenneth was hitting a wall- the science teacher, and maybe the English teacher too. I wrote about Kenneth's trouble with the science teacher in the the Parent Teacher Conference entry. I reminded him that I was there for him-while trying to figure out in my brain what I could possible say to science teacher and then I told he could work on English projects in our room during lunch.

Third period, I surrounded myself with the attendance booklets that need to be sent out this week and all the other special service team filling out attendance booklets, with the exception of the team members who didn't pick up the blank attendance booklets in September so they didn't tell me we didn't have enough and we have to order more- even though they have to go out this week.

Fourth period Kenneth showed up and melted down. All six feet of him collapsed into tears.

"I just want to do well- I got to do well- I got to get into a good college."

I calmed Kenneth down enough to sit in front of the computer and went down to pick up sliced apples for him from the lunchroom.

I ran into the social worker (eating sliced apples) on the stairs and sent him into talk to Kenneth (and pick up the attendance booklets to fill out)

I could get no apple slices from the lunchroom (I'm not going to go into it)But Kenneth was in a better mood whenI got back and dictated a script about masculinity-short version a skinny guy with arms like twigs decides to bulk up to impress the girl who in the end tells him she liked him better when he was more cerebral and less of a musclebrain.

And then I listened to a whole bunch of personal essays and even more excuses about why people didn't have their personal essays in tenth grade English

And then I went to the eighth grade science to make timelines about the whole history of the earth (on one sentence strip)which I was supposed to take home to mark but I forgot to grab as I was on my way out to the Emergency room. (don't worry that parts coming)

And then I took part in an IEP meeting with Usher a repeating ninth grader with a third grade reading and math level. The gist of the conference was even though things had been totally screwed up for him for the last 14 years we were still willing to teach him to read if he would just show up to school on time (preferably not high) and stay for extra reading help.

And then I called the help desk (unsuccessfully) twice to order more attendance booklets.

And then I sat in on a discipline meeting in the principal's office as a Union rep.

And then I got to ride in the ambulance with Jolene a senior who passed out in the music room (afore mentioned music teacher had a busy day too)because she (Jolene- I don't know if the music teacher ate) didn't eat all day.
Note that with everything that happened today- I still managed to stuff in a meatball hero.

I could retire this June.
How could I possibly fill my days with so much fun?