Whether Or Not

Slice 3

A day of meetings with adults instead of kids in school poses quite the juxtaposition. I dislike the paperwork and meetings portion of this job. To the point where my students hear “this afternoon there will be an all-staff meeting in the LRC” and they respond from their seats with a chorus of boos for me so I don’t have to do it. I think I just love the kid part of teaching, which sprung specifically from parenting when I was a stay at home dad with no idea what to be when I grow up, and then also from coaching kids for a while before settling onto this career path. I know meetings and paperwork are ultimately to benefit the kid part. I do. I just love the actual teaching part so much more than the other parts that the gap feels more like love/hate than like/dislike. 

Plus, today is even a little more excruciating because I’m window watching for a blizzard or bad rain or whatever they’re calling for, knowing that the sooner I get on the road for my 13 hour trek to New York, the sooner I’m done with it. I envision myself Supermanning just ahead of the weather the whole time to where when I land in Woodstock tomorrow sometime, the only sign will be that the bottom of my cape is slightly crisped at the end by the sleet kicked up in my wake. The frayed bits of the hem nothing but a souvenir from my intrepid and stealthy successful escape back into youthful adventure. I’ll ignore the fact that I’ll be awake and functioning in New York for only around 8 and a halfish hours and driving for 26 until I can’t ignore it anymore. And that 26 will only be if the Superman dream comes true. 

Honestly, though? All that fun whatever aside? This morning wasn’t bad. I genuinely like the other 5th grade teachers in my district and, moreover, whenever I do get a district-wide meeting like today I always get the sense that they love the kid part too. We are usually able to have a free flowing talk about what matters most in the spirit of helping each other with tips and tricks or encouragement and empathy and today was no different. And then we traveled back to our home schools, knowing it wasn’t a “normal”, full day of work. No kids, but a 1:15 dismissal time. And with the weekend ahead, (whether or not the weather is about to be the archvillain in your hero’s journey) for today anyways, meeting with these adults I work with everyday didn’t seem too bad at all.