A surprise day off

It's the end of 3rd period when my principle pokes her head in, "Ummm I need to make an announcement." Thoughts running through my head, "Someone is in danger. One of my students is in trouble. There has been another fight. A gang has taken over the school." I stand there, waiting for her to speak. Finally she says, "How many people are not going to be here tomorrow. How many people are going to FA's memorial tomorrow?" Half the class raises their hand. "Okay, well there is no school tomorrow because the attendance is going to be low. You don't have to be here, but you should still come in for tutoring." Thoughts in my head now, (a)Damn it, there goes my plans on having them finishing their persuasive essays before the break. Looks like it is going to have to be split up after break. (b) Why the hell would they shut the school down and not make the other kids come to school!? "Optional" tutoring is not going to work. I have so much to catch these kids up to begin with! (c) hell yeah, I have no students tomorrow!!! (although teachers still have to be there). (d) You think they would give us some notice on this type of stuff!

So tomorrow I have the day off, even though I am strangely peeved since I won't finish my lesson until after break. I am truly a teacher.

This weekend was a nice b-day weekend. Friday night we had our school teacher holiday party, which included booze, White Elephant exchange, and meeting people's families. Let's just say I stayed sober, I pissed another teacher off for stealing her gift, and I played with a 3 year old for an hour. Then I was in bed by 9pm. 23 is the new 40.

Saturday was my actual birthday, and it was quite the step up. It started off by sleeping in (until 9am) then lounging around my apt. lesson planning (yes, LPing on my bday). I finally was saved from myself by M who took me out for a brief bday lunch. I got gussied up for a TFA alumni dinner, then rushed over to a TFA friend's holiday party in San Fran. As I walk in I meet Caroline's friend who lives at the house, "Oh hi Kellee. It's your birthday right? I saw the beautiful cake already." Cake? Well there when that surprise. Caroline and Theresa had mastered a plan to get a beautiful cake to the party without me knowing. Either way, it was a classic "party pooper" moment. When they took the cake out, I acted surprise, and no one else knew the wiser.

Sunday ment the fun was over and time to go back to work. We calculated that we work 85-95 hours a week. Yeh, that is disgusting. Yeh, that is my life. Yeh, that is why I am going to crawl into bed by 10pm. Like I said, 23 is the new 40.

-Ms. Q