Today Was Not My Favourite Day*

Today was not my favourite day.

It started off okay–the school I went to is close to home and has a later start time, so it wasn’t quite as much of a rush to get out the door this morning, which was nice. I got to the school and was able to find my way to the office, where I bumped into a friendly face right when I walked in the door. A teacher I worked with at my last school is now a VP, and works at the school I was called to today. It was nice to see her, and it made me feel not quite so alone there.

I went to the secretary to pick up my keys and instructions for the day, and while I was at her desk she asked me if I was available tomorrow. I was, so I said as much, but didn’t realize that that meant she was already booking me in for another day. I’m often asked this by secretaries, and it usually they just check and see if there’s anything, then check back with me later. More on this in a bit.

I saw on the plans that I was out in a portable all day long. I understand that they are a necessity with schools as they are these days, but really, it’s so unfair to teachers out there. There are so many distractions out the windows which the broken blinds don’t cover, and there is just no way that I can make it from the portable in to the school to use the washroom and back again in the few minutes between classes. So, slight wrinkle in my brow when I saw that, but I just tried not to drink any water while I was in my classroom.

I took a deep breath and dove in. Today I had three applied classes–two grade 9 and one grade 10. The call I received was for History, I found myself teaching two periods of Geography, which is not in my wheelhouse. Thankfully I had an EA in one class (there’s strength in numbers) but I was on my own for the other two. It was a challenging day. Each class was a “work period”, and even though I tried everything, I could not motivate these kids. It quickly flipped from me trying to get them on task to crowd control. I had to bust out my teacher voice and yell at my last class. I hate yelling. It’s so not my style… but I had literally tried everything else.

And this class was so loud they couldn’t even really hear me as I was yelling. It was so defeating. It got to the point where I was seriously just counting down the minutes waiting for the day to be over, which is not who I am. It’s not the kind of teacher I want to be.

As I was awkwardly sitting in the department room through my prep and lunch, I got a message from a friend at my old school asking if I could work for her tomorrow. I sent her an emphatic YES, and she put it in the system and I waited for the call…. which never came because the secretary from this morning knew I was available and had already booked me back in for the same classes again tomorrow. I know she was trying to be helpful and give me some work, and it’s probably better for the kids to have some consistency, but I am dying a little inside at the thought of going back. There is no new work for the classes tomorrow, and since a bunch of the kids completed what was intended to last both days today, it will mean bored kids bugging other bored kids for an entire period.

Hold me.

I know it’s just one day, and that I can power through it, I just… ah.

It was not my favourite day, and I’m not excited about repeating it again tomorrow.

Is it the weekend yet?