NO AIR

While my previous posting did not make me feel better about having to blog, it did at least provide me with something to write about (the last paragraph that I erased from my previous blog). Now that I have a subject, and now that I am figuring out how to make what could be a clear, succinct writing, become a confusing, poorly written, redundant, rambling, 500-word writing that will certainly be unenjoyable for the unlucky people that come across this blog, I think I can finally finish this assignment and move on to the more important things in my life (my niece who has awakened and is hungry and my job that pays the bills, well some of the bills).

Just so you all (if I were not trying to get 500 words, I probably would have used the contraction ya'll here) know, if this posting did not have to be 500 words, my posting would have started here: Several weeks ago I was informed that the air would be turned off in our building May 1st and would not be on for the remainder of the school year. I immediately saw visions of me sitting at my desk in a ninety-nine degree classroom for the entire 90 minutes of each block with sweat running profusely down my face, a folded paper serving as a make-shift fan in one hand, and a water bottle in the other hand. In this vision, I also saw all of my students with their heads down and wearing sweat-soaked t-shirts and blouses. Unfortunately, my classroom is on the second floor of the building, and until two weeks ago, all of my windows were sealed shut. The idea of having to come to work everyday with no air and no open windows was horrific. I thought, you have to be kidding me.

Since that time, the air has indeed been turned off. However, the custodians were able to open three of my windows. The school also provided a fan for my room since up until that point and despite my students' constant begging, I had not bought a fan to put in the room. Last week was not as bad as it could have been since it was cloudy and cooler than usual for this time of year. Although the conditions are not ideal, I think we will make it until the end of the year without falling out from heat exhaustion, and I am hopeful that my visions will not become reality. (A little less than one hundred words to go.)

As I think about my reaction to the idea of no air, I think about how spoiled we (including myself) as a society have become. When I was in elementary, we did not have air conditioning. We had windows and fans, and no one used the absence of air as an excuse to not teach or not work hard as a student. A speaker I heard recently told the story of visiting a class in another country which was held outside on a daily basis. When it started raining, the students did not move, and the lesson continued. That story tells a lot about how much those students and teachers valued education and did not take it for granted. Then I think about the conditions of the facilities and materials that my parents, uncles, and aunts, used while getting a K-12 education. They would have never complained and would have been grateful for what we have, no air and all. I'm just like my students. I need to have my mindset adjusted every now and then.

605 words - I'm still bitter about these blogs.

A BLOG ABOUT SOMETHING...I'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT AS I GO

I do believe that just about everyone in this program has had or will have that moment when he/she suddenly realizes that required blogging is pointless, time-consuming, and frankly, a pain in the you know what. Actually, my moment was pretty much the first day I heard about the requirement, but I am just now deciding to write about it. Why now you might ask? There are many reasons.

One, I fell asleep on the couch last night with a full stomach, my niece sleeping peacefully on the other end of the couch, and a happy smile on my face. I awakened this morning with a very unhappy thought - blogs are due. Not one, but two of them. AND they must be 500 words. What if I don't have 500 words of something to say (obviously, I don't... thus the rambling. Just imagine how the second blog will sound.)

Two, three, four, and five: I need to go to "the country" (to those who don't know, that means a rural Mississippi town where my family is from... a town so small it has no stop lights and only a few stop signs); I need to grade projects and tests; I need to make my semester exams; and I am babysitting my niece for several days. In a nutshell, there is opportunity cost involved as I sit here and type this. I'm only at 241 words, so that means I have to ramble twice as much as I already have.

There are many more important things that I could be doing right now. I am rather annoyed right now, and I just hope that when my niece wakes up I will not direct my annoyance at her being that she has not done anything wrong.

I think I was willing to tolerate this foolishness when there were no length requirements. I did what I was asked to do, reluctantly but without the bitterness that I feel right now. My blogs were already somewhat lengthy - but they made some sort of sense. When I finished what I had to say, I posted the blog. Now when I finish what I have to say, I have to copy and paste into a word document and see if I'm at 500 words. Only 370 words - still a lot more rambling necessary. I wonder if after 500 words of venting if I will feel better about blogging. For some reason, I doubt that very seriously.

Let me see ..... um ... I wore sandals to school last week for the first time since the weather started getting cooler in the fall. My students acted like this was the first time I had ever worn sandals and seemed to be quite amused that I would show my toes. My toes are not beautiful, but I informed them that it is hot, and I want to be comfortable just like you do.

Two more words - I think that did it. (Actually I had another paragraph that made it 589 words, but I need to save those words for the second blog.)