Workin' For A Livin'
From Steve Rushin's consistently excellent column in Sports Illustrated:"I enjoy what I'm doing," said Patriots Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour, glazed in sweat from the 95 degree heat.
Tattooed on Seymour's considerable left biceps is Philippians 4:13, which reads, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. On my (slightly smaller) biceps should be 2 Thessalonians 3:11, a perfect description of the motley press corps. It reads, THERE ARE SOME WHICH WALK AMONG YOU DISORDERLY, WORKING NOT AT ALL, BUT ARE BUSYBODIES.
All of which to say: How can I be working my poor patootie off, getting ready for the first day of school, while other teachers are playing solitaire on their laptops?!?
There is so much to do getting ready for the little buggers to invade us on Monday (that last phrase being a tip of the hat to any of you who have read "Ender's Game.") And, as you sit in meeting after meeting, all you can really think about is that long list of things that absolutely must be accomplished by Day 1.
I stole some time this afternoon and put all my desks up. Then I moved 170 books from my neighbors classroom into mine. I'd put some things up on the wall, but I'm pretty sure I'd fall off the desk. No, it's much safer sitting here and typing.
Yesterday one of my colleagues said, "Well, this year I'm actually going to teach on the first full day of classes." To which I wanted desperately to reply, "What HAVE you been doing?"
To each his own. I can do all things. But even God rested.
posted by Thurman8er @ 3:02 PM
6 Comments:
Stories like that are what make me simultaneously terrified and excited to send my oldest off to first grade this year. How do you know whether his teacher is busting it to get ready to fill his little head with knowledge or whether he or she is just going through the motions. Keep up the good work. It makes me feel better to know folks like you exist in the teaching ranks.
Sounds like you could do with a vacation...
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I can't wait for you yearly student stories ("I'm enjoying my childhood, Mr. Thurman!") You should get a silly counter to display the countdown to summer.
I’m now 173 days away from summer vacation.
I don’t know what you’re colleague has been doing on the first day but I know what we haven’t been doing. Sleeping!
That answer is always my trump card when my neighbor starts busting my chops over how teachers have 3 months (actually it is only about 10 weeks – can I get a witness out there) of summer vacation each year. He made the mistake of telling my one time that on his night shift he could occasionally steal away for a little “nappy-poo.”
O.K kids, please be good while I catch a few winks. That would be interesting.
I love the phrase, "The best defense is a good offense!" No matter which way you spin this, there are "thems that DO and thems that don't..." I see this every day at work, too...and the most valuable thing I've EVER learned could be another phrase, "Be Prepared!" THIS, in itself, is an eternal, universal lesson for all life situations. Hopefully, the young will continue to make this part of their learning processes as well, and who better to impart this wisdom than their teachers!
As for stuff for the walls, how about great big paper blocks of Sudoku puzzles??? Then, the students could fill them in, giving reasons for their entries FIRST, with only one entry per student allowed. Seems there's a lot of ways to figure them out, and "guessing" just isn't an option. Lot of lessons can be learned...
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