Things I'd rather do...

Than sitting in my classroom doing nothing.
All papers graded and recorded. check
All desks cleaned. check -- you know I have to be bored to clean student desks!
Listening to the soundtrack of Meet Joe Black. check
The one student who signed up for a meeting -- not here yet.

We are having our nextstep meetings. Third year since our legislature thought it would be a good idea for teachers to meet with parents, review their students' transcripts and then decide what classes for them to take next year. It entails two full class days and one evening. This year they fill out the next step form on the computer. Oh my but are we getting high tech!

Had most of my students come first thing this morning. It was rather busy for about an hour, then rather nice to be in the classroom alone getting caught up on the paperwork and other things that pile up, especially when you don't have a prep period. But what do you do when you're all caught up and have the evening and all day tomorrow too?

Somewhere this grading period I'm supposed to cover curriculum. On our flex schedule I had the six classes for two hours Monday and Tuesday (three classes each day), we are off for this next step for two days then a regular day on Friday. Next week Flex schedule again then we have testing for 9 & 11 grades on Wednesday and Thursday, back to a regular day that Friday. The students are really going to remember the revolts of 1848, Nationalism and the unifications of Germany and Italy when it comes time for a test.

And the idiot politicians wonder why test scores are falling! They pat themselves on the back saying what wonderful legislation they've passed to improve quality of education, but everything they do reduces the amount of instruction time.

Mummble mummble mummble grrrrrr.
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