Today was a bad day at work. The only thing that made it thus was my inability to have a Plan C, which I usually don’t have to have.
Plan A was simple–import quizzes that I wrote into classes that I teach and have students take said quizzes. Didn’t happen. Cursors just spun and nothing was imported. Bummer.
Plan B was simple–finish poems and stories and literary terms, since plan A didn’t work. Some classes put up with it, others did not. Not sure I blame them. I don’t think I sold it too well, but I get tired of always having to sell it.
Plan C was not present. Really, though, I never need a plan C, but I did today. Lesson learned.
We start Antigone and Greek Tragedy and the Oedipus Cycle (though we only read Antigone) this week. That is always fun and does not require a Plan C. One kid today knew who Oedipus was, and he’s a transfer from another school. Some things never change. One of the hardest parts of teaching for me is that nothing surprises me. Yes, kids say funny things, or I do, and we laugh at the surprise. But I can tell you how most days are going to go this year, who’s going to get what grade, what students won’t understand, and where I have to help them.
I don’t mind the last part–I like helping kids, but English should be different. There should be those who rise above it all, who come through when I have sold them short because others before me have scarred them, who do something that didn’t happen last year, and the year before that.
Monday! We’re usually better than today.
At least we have Nick Cave.
https://youtu.be/LWSDIpSg2b0