Summer School Meeting

Tonight, I went to four hours of required professional development for teaching summer school. First off, I was so tired and I just didn't feel like going. At the meeting, I was reminded just what a buttload of work this is going to be. Dragging all the crap for a classroom to another building (we have no air conditioning in our building), setting up, assessing, breaking down and moving it all back. We have to teach four and a half hours straight with no break which will be very intense, like a whole school day crammed into half a day. I haven't been in the classroom for 2 years and have never taught this grade before. I'm already stressed just thinking about it.

The presentation was partially about guided reading. Something I've been doing for four or five years. I could have done the presentation. I was bored out of my mind. Later, they read four monster books to us and then we had to do a monster arts and crafts project. If I'd been in a better mood, I might have had fun with it. As it was, I was irritated because we are adult professionals, why do we have to do these activities as though we're children? I couldn't seem to stop myself from making snarky comments to my coworkers. When I was a new teacher, I loved this sort of thing. Guess I'm too old and jaded to enjoy it now.

During the meeting, the other teachers there were all very rude. It was unbelievable. They threw trash on the floor, talked when the presenter talked and dinner was like some sort of cattle call with people taking more than their share. It just became a downward spiral and I felt like a big, sweaty, frustrated mess by the time it was over.

This program is so strict on attendance and of course one of the remaining 2 meetings falls on embryo transfer week. I really wish I could hand the contract back to my principal and say...."Never mind, I don't want to do this now."

Sigh...not my style and I know I need some other focus to my summer, whatever may happen.