Friday Fifteen

Guys, I am a freaking McGrump Pants today. I don't even know why. But anyways, here's a list of 15 things because it's Friday and if you didn't know, fifteen and Friday both start wit F. So does fart. But that's for another time.

1. This morning when I pulled into work there were no more teacher parking spots, which there never are. Our school is under construction right now and half our spots are gone. So I pulled into visitor parking, which teachers always do. A co worker pulled in next to me. There were still tons of visitor spots. A different lady pulls in on the other side of me and STARES at me with death eyes. I was super creeped out but I just got outta my car and went about my business. Then this lady yells to me and my co-worker, "Hey! Are you guys teachers!?!" When we said yes she looked as if we were the worst people in the world and went off about us being in the visiting parking then literally stomped into the school and told our principal. She looked like a 4 year old. We didn't get in trouble but they made an announcement that we needed to not use the spots anymore and instead park lightyears away. Even the principal knew it was dumb but what can ya do? Not a good start to my morning though. I work here lady. And I get paid diddly-squat. You can park far and walk. Why are you even at the school? Fridays are late start days and only teachers should be here?? Go away. No one likes you. Thanks. Bye.

2. Teaching has been a lot harder this year in some ways and easier in others. I feel a lot more comfortable in my school and in what I'm doing. But I am not connecting with all my students the way I was last year. That would be fine in a general ed class, but I have the same 15-20 kids basically all day long and it's different. Most of the kiddies are awesome. We hit it off right away, they respond well to me, they are progressing and we have a lot of fun. Other kids are rude and defiant and distant and lazy and I have never had so much trouble just motivating and talking with a kid. There's really only about three that fall into this category, but it's really making the year challenging.

3. Pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies changed my life.

4. The first 3 years of your teaching career in my district, you are observed by an administrator through a system called JPASS. They do 2 evaluations in the fall and two in the spring and they run your results and some data program spits out a paper deciding if you are a good teacher or not. Then you have to make this huge portfolio showing more evidence of why you are a good teacher. I had my observations this week and am meeting with my VP to go over the results today but he decided that my big portfolio is due today as well. It's not supposed to be due until the spring meetings but he says he likes to get them over with. So I had a few hours to compile a billion objectives into a presentable manner. I love my VP and he is the best, but this bugged big time. Don't rush me so you don't have to worry about checking portfolios for the rest of the year! Come on man, come on!

5. I didn't wanna say anything because I didn't want to jinx it.. but I think we are safe now. I have quit diet coke. Done-zo. I will have a sip or a can every once in a while if I feel like it, but I am not addicted and I don't have it every day. I rarely have it once a week! It's awesome.

6. Ever wanted to scream something from a mountain but you can't? Yeah, me too.

7. Some people need to stop being on Facebook like.. forever. Seriously, I wanna punch my screen because some people are so annoying. I know, why don't I just get off Facebook? Yeah right. I like Facebook. Stupid people need to leave.

8. I really like the new Taylor Swift song. Not the stupid one where she is talking and says "like.. ever" a whole bunch and I wanna barf. The other one called like, "Begin Again" I think. It's super awesome and reminds me of when I met Nathans. I accidentally added that s but decided to keep it because I think it would be funny if I started referring to my husband in the plural sense.

9. Speaking of Nathans. He is the bomb. He has had to put up with a lot of complaining lately and he is seriously such a stud. I bought him The Avengers the other night just to make up for my grumpies.

10. About 2 and a half years ago I accidentally texted Katie that I was "clogging" instead of "blogging" and it has stuck with us. When ever we blog, we always text each other, "I just clogged." And it's funny every time. I wish I could clog. And I wish Katie and I were a clogging duet group and we traveled the world making everybody's dreams come true.

11. My 6th period reading class is funny. It's right after lunch and there are 15 boys and 2 girls in it. The boys are always bouncing off the walls for the first bit of class. Then they start calming down and there is like a 5 minute window of good instructional time until the sugar crash hits and they are all zombies. Evey day. I should write a paper about it. And publish it. And then become a famous clogger in a duet show with Katie and travel the world and make everybody's dreams come true!

12. My department chair brought us donuts this morning. I love her.

13. Calling someone the "chair" of something is funny. I don't care if you say "department chair" or "committee chair," I will always just think about a chair.

14. I really love the people I work with. I don't have a single complaint about any of my coworkers. My team and my department are more like a second family to me than anything else. We make fun of each other and help each other and text each other racist jokes. It's pretty awesome.

15. I have nothing left to say but I don't like ending on a number that is not a multiple of five. Because five and Friday and fifteen all start with f. Remember? And so does fart.