Mental meltdown. I just described my weekend. Saturday, my PD class was canceled by the instructor. I really wanted to get back on some kind of track, but I did any but. I had one of my mental slowdowns. I spent most of Saturday staring at my lesson plan book. I was not able to get my lesson plans completed. I only just finished completing my homework sheet. I got hung up on trying to make heads or tails out of the new reading program. Strange. 90 minutes of the school day was taken out for teaching another group of students (but as of this writing), we are not required to provide assessments for the new groups. However, we are still expected to teach (and assess) our regular students. And, I was told that we will only have this new program for this year only. Oh, did I mentioned that due to this new program, we have had about 10 official schedule changes in the past couple of weeks. Official meaning changes (major changes) to scheduling and lunch times.

Anyway, this weekend I wanted to get back on track, but I did not accomplish much of anything. My Saturday was mostly review the materials that I will have to teach (integrating and putting things in mental order). I was in bed about 11:30pm.

Sunday morning, I decided to cut and shave my head. My plan was to get things done early so that I would not be up at 2 or 3 in the morning. Looking at this posting will tell you how miserable I've failed in that regard. After cutting my hair, I soaked in the tub. I did some more of my lesson planning (Math for the next two weeks). I decided to go to Barnes and Nobles to buy a couple of related stories to the stories in the anthology that I will be teaching in class. Mainly, I just wanted to get out of my apartment. Having the extension stories are supposed to provide an opportunity for the students to extend their understanding of the themes presented in the anthology.

I went to the B&N on Broadway and 82nd street. I had to go to the kid's section of B&N. Wow! Next time, I think I will order online. The place was like a flop house, kids and adults were laying all over the place. And of course, they could not be bothered to move when some old guy is trying to find books on the shelves they are leaning on. Observations:

There was a mother negotiating with a 5 year old to come in the bathroom. She even offered to give him the option of finishing playing with the book he had. She wanted him to come in the bathroom because he "can't stay outside the bathroom by himself where she can't see him". Since he refused to go, she changed the diaper on the floor.

A father with a monster stroller blocking the aisle trying to persuade his son to stop doing something and come with him.

There were kids playing with toys, and people just laying about.

Trying to find the books was not made easier stepping over kids and adults with my granny cart in tow. I also could not make heads or tails of the book order. I was told to go to JUV Holiday section, but I could not find that section. Finally, a clerk helped me.

After getting a couple of books:
When I was Young in the Mountains
Gracias, the Thanksgiving Turkey

I went to the Science Fiction section. It was like another world. I quiet world.

After the bookstore, I went to my father's place to pick up my mail and say hello. I caught the 5:30 to Yonkers. I got off the MN at Yonkers to go shopping. About $114 poorer, I caught the 6:50pm local train home. I went to the laundry to wash my work clothes. I had some leftover barbecue chicken (I made it yesterday), but I wanted to save it for some time during the workweek, when I know I would not feel like cooking. Instead, I had a can of low sodium chicken noodle soup and a turkey sandwich.

I typed up my homework sheet. I also type up a reading log that both kids and their parents would have to sign off on it each day. I assign reading each night for homework, but I know my students are not reading.

I was planning to go to the gym tomorrow (now today), but it is now 3am. I will have about 3 hours of sleep before I have to get up. I will be too tired to go. So, I will have to try again another time. I also told myself that I have to get out of that school building by 5pm. When I leave at 6pm or 7pm, I am not really being productive, I am just wasting time.

Time to go.

Oh, I will do a quick summary of the couple of incidents (meeting with Sticky Finger's father, school newsletter, back pain etc...) another time.


Post Date - Monday, October 29, 2007 3:03am