The best part about working at Delaware City Schools for the past 3 years has been the people I have met and the friendships I have made. Unfortunately, many of those friends have moved on to better teaching situations for them and their families. One would think that you would lose contact with those people, and while I would love to talk with people more, the internet and email have made it possible for us to at least share stories every couple days.
As you know I just recently started a new position in Delaware as an elementary P.E. teacher. I get asked almost daily how the new job is treating me, and I haven't yet found the words to describe how much I like my new position, so I just respond with a simple "great." That response does not even do justice to how much happier I am working with the younger kids. When I was asked on our old-delaware-friends email list how things were going this past week, I went ahead and described my day, mainly to rub it in to the others at how good I really have it.
Before sharing that email, I'll have you know that every person on the email for one reason or another is bogged down with work, and fighting each day just to get through all the things they have on their plate. Whether it's grad school, multiple jobs, scheduling for an entire high school that is getting new students daily, or trying to win football games under not-so-perfect conditions, I had just read a story from each of these guys that made me think "wow, I'm glad I'm not that guy" and proceeded write this response...
Sounds like I'm the only one with anything really happening.
Here is what my day now consists of...
I lazily get out of bed about 6:15am and start the coffee and feed the dog. I then get on the computer and check my email and read the dispatch online. Once i hear the beep of the coffee maker i pour myself a piping hot cup of joe and take a stroll with the pup around the block. When i return, I eat breakfast, shower, and take my good ass time getting around because I dont have to be to school until most of you guys are 1 period into the day. I show up at 8:00 and waste time until 8:20 when I have to go out to the corner of channing and 37 and act as the crossing guard until 8:40 (and you fools complain about a lunch duty or something, HA, try being the safety patrol for a bunch of kids that absolutely cannot wait to cross the street and run into the school. it's like holding back a drunk student section when a trip to the national championship is in the bag). From 8:40 until 9:00 I have to say hi and give hugs to about 100 kids that come down to the gym to tell me they think I'm great (HA, fooled em). At 9:00 i have to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and then my first class comes. For the next 40 minutes I can tell the kids whatever I want and they cheer and run around in circles like its christmas morning. Then I do that 2 more times, and at 11:00 i sit down for lunch. I read emails, browse the net, and write long replies like this one until 12:55 when my next class comes in. I then have 3 classes in the afternoon, one of which is usually kindergarten. Kindergarteners take any directions you give them, and immediately toss them out the window and just run around the gym until they are soaked in sweat, and occasionaly redirect themselves to collectively trying to tackle the teacher as a class. Once i shoo them off me, they run more laps until finally it is time to go and they gotta give you another hug before they leave. At 2:55 my day concludes with me sitting at my desk and figuring out what I will do the next day, and I head home around 3:30. By the time I reach home I'm ready for a cold one and dinner, and then hit the sack around 9:00.
Now thats work!
Note to anyone going into education: take the elementary route. The kids want to be there, and want to learn. Yes, it is exhausting to be with the little rascals all day, but in the end it is much more rewarding and much easier to come to "work" every single day.
Until next time,
