First day ramble

I need to get this down, because I want to remember this when I'm thumbing through the pages of this blog on my deathbed...

So today was the first day of school for teachers. We have a new principal, a new department head, a new Assistant Principal, a ton of new teachers, and a ton of new rules. One of the first memos I get is that English teachers can only give tests on Thursdays to lighten the burden on the kids. (Math gets Mondays, Science gets Tuesdays, etc.) Now, I teach on an A/B schedule, so I teach the same thing two days in a row; if I give a test, I give one on one day and one on the next to a different group of students. We brought this up to the principal, and he said, alright, you're right, you can have Thursdays and Fridays. I was impressed with this. He had a plan, he was met with a logical disagreement, and he readjusted. Good.

Lots of up and down feelings, though. My friend devised a rubric for principals' meeting leadership that had separate scores for (A) Use of Anecdotes; (B) Use of Cliches; (C) Sensitivity to Time; and (D) Audability. This guy passed on B (he had a lot) and D (he was plenty loud), but not on A (they weren't very good) or C (Lunch was supposed to be at noon, and the meeting lasted until 12:40).

Yeah, this is my fourth principal in just over two years, so I'm a little cynical about it. And I hate being cynical, so my optimistic side is trying its hardest. It definitely seems like this man has a vision for the school, and that's something that was totally missing last year. He seems like he's going to be tough. He's already planning on school uniforms, for example. He wants the school to the best on the east coast. I love the lofty goals. But so far, it's all talk, and I've heard similar talk last year. Granted, this man is ten times as impressive as that guy was.

I'm starting to feel back in the swing of things already. I set up my computer, my cubicle (sadly, not my classroom), my first unit, and I'm ready to go. The new department head hasn't shown up so hopefully she doesn't take up too much of the preparation time tomorrow.

On the way out, I caught up with my Assistant Baseball Coach. He's an older guy who doesn't get paid, but it seems like he's been scouting all summer for me. He coaches in the Northwood League, and told me all about the good prospects that I'll be getting this year on the team. I'm really hoping that this new principal will be supportive of a JV Baseball Team because that's what we really need to compete in the years to come.

There I go talking longterm again. Silly, silly me.

Very tired. One shouldn't be out until the wee hours of morning before the first day of work. Although I haven't felt tired until just now. Mostly because I had to go to the bathroom all day and couldn't because I was in meetings where I felt bad to get up and go. That will keep you awake.