I managed to get to the gym twice this week. I'm so thrilled a new one was opened just down the street. L. has his gym downtown, about a block from his workplace, so he breezes in a couple mornings a week, and then goes to work. I tried going to the Aqua Center on Sally Mood Drive last year, and did go for awhile, but when the workload grew, my resolution faltered because of the distance and traffic. Who wants to spend an extra hour getting home because of high traffic times? The Southside has exploded so much that Abercorn Extension South is packed with slow-moving traffic from 3:45 on. But this new gym is on King George Blvd. so once I'm home, I can zip over to it in two minutes without traffic problems.
The purpose is for stress release and health. I'm wondering if it's having a postive effect already because today yet another observer came into my room during class, started writing notes and checking off items on a form. The in-house Administration has a special checklist of "Lookfors". One of the Lookfors is a Word Wall of vocabulary words pasted on the wall. If you don't have a Word Wall, you are not a good teacher. I have a Word Wall currently lying on its side on the ancient air conditioner in the classroom. I had the journalism students make a bunch of posters on Tuesday, including a Word Wall, and even went to the Media Center to get them laminated. But I can't get the Word Wall up on the only wall space available in my classroom, above the white board, because that area is too high to reach, and I'll be darned if I should have to climb up on a chair and risk bodily injury at my age. I was hoping to ask the custodian if he had a step ladder next time I ran into him. But alas, (Gotcha!) the observer came sooner than I thought, and I was Word-Wall-less.
I also know that one of their pet peeves is any lapse in instructional time. They would rather see students frantically working as the ending bell interrupts them, than have any idle moments. I disagree with this philosophy. If a few minutes remain before the ending bell rings and they've done all their work, I see no reason why the students, who have sat patiently in their seats for 90 minutes doing the activities I gave them, should not have a few minutes to stand up, stretch, and congregate near the door. I think they should! These are well-behaved seniors, who are capable of standing around without acting like 10th graders, without pushing, shoving, throwing, or showing off. Why shuldn't they stand up and walk towards the door for a few minutes socialization, since they've finished their work for the day? But I know for sure that this did not go over well with the observer, for she was writing furiously on her tablet, that last two minutes of class time was not used effectively. I don't think I even give a flip anymore. How lovely that I've come to my senses. I'll just keep treadmilling my way towards clarity.
Thank God tomorrow is Friday. I have a couple of Netflix movies waiting, and P. and I'll order Chinese or Japanese.
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