Sometimes the Plan Must Change

I went in early.  I went in with a plan.  I went in with an assistant (kid #1 is awesome).  I went in and I stopped in my tracks.  You see, the part of the plan that relied on other people doing their job and following through on their 'promises' fell through.  This meant that all the other steps in the plan were going to have to wait.  

The furniture that was supposed to be removed from the room, was not removed from the room.  So, I had to put my plan on hold while I moved the photocopier and tables and boxes and desks and computers.  After about 2 hours of shifting and tidying I could finally begin unpacking.  

Once things were unpacked (but hardly organised) we decided to jump on a train and go shopping.  Then we went home and I spent the most of the next day sleeping.  I was exhausted.  The classroom is almost ready.  There is still so much more to do and I am so overwhelmed and I have done so little planning and I haven't got my head around the first unit.  We spent student free days in curriculum meetings and professional development workshops and planning meetings and 'important' lunches.  Every time I left my classroom for "a few minutes" I would be gone for an hour.  Popping in to a neighbouring staffroom to see one person for a second resulted in 20 conversations (many of them simply social rather than necessary).  On Thursday all I really wanted (and let's face it, needed) to do was go to the toilet.  But could I do that?  Could I have three minutes to myelf?  NO. 

A teacher aid was chasing me to ask me where to put some photocopying (on the desk... how hard is that?), my teaching partner told me she had some student folders and wanted to know what to do with them.  I answered her question and she still followed me into the toilets to continue the discussion because she didn't want to keep the folders.  So, as I was covering the toilet seat with toilet paper, I explained why it is important for us to have those records.  

I need to learn how to say to people (politely) that I need some space.  Apparently, "I need to go to the toilet" isn't going to be enough.  

The real moral of the story is this: Blessed are the Flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape! 

I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend.