Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Seating Chart Woes, Part Two

As I have mentioned, the ideal seating chart is elusive. But it is necessary to change them around at least once per 9 weeks, or you will have a full-out mutiny. Because I was planning the field trip, I was not very quick this 9 weeks to devise a new one, as I was busy.

It makes sense, right? Making sure that we don't forget to order a ticket for one kid, making sure to get all the lunches we are required to get, etc, plus doing the regular teaching and grading duty doesn't leave much time for shuffling student desks.

But to the kids, it doesn't make sense.

I kept telling them I was not doing it because I was busy trying to make sure we could actually go on the trip. They were almost insane with excitement about going, but they did not understand how much work it was. It was just fun to them, no work involved but surviving until that day.

They ask why I don't do it at home. I explain I do have to, you know, eat, and clean various things at my house occasionally.

They stare blankly at me.

Apparently, it's a hard concept for kids to understand that their teachers do indeed have lives outside of school. Teaching is a different type of profession, sure, but it's still a job, and you still have things to do at home, just like their parents.

So I am going to do it today, barring all major interruptions, while they are working on their assignments. This is generally hard to do, because they constantly ask me questions, mostly unnecessary ones.

I will tell them if they interrupt me, I will never finish.

This might work. I can always hope, anyway.

(Probably not.)

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