To test a person's character, give them power...

As my triathlon season officially ends (I am going through some serious tri withdrawal), I'm officially gearing my attention towards the school year. 13 of a possible 180-something days are complete, and already, I'm annoyed. Not with the students. Not even with the parents. My ire so far is directed toward our administration. Without naming names or being too descriptive, my school has traded in one grumpy, middle-aged, nut job principal for another.


Recently, our new principal saw fit to berate us, the teaching staff, via the public address system because our outdoor bulletin boards were not up to a particular set of standards. Apparently, the person in question found it acceptable to do this 1) during school hours, when the students were in their respective classrooms and 2) towards the end of the day, when parents were in the building to pick up said children. So not only were our competency and intelligence called into question, but it was done so within earshot of everyone in the building. To me, that action set a tone that was harmful to the complexion of the school environment (Please bear in mind our school year is 13 days old. At this point, is it really necessary to walk around like this guy?!?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HdtO-ls3S0)

This behavior begs the question: why do school principals find it necessary to become a$$holes when they assume this position? Granted, I've only worked for two principals, but my previous one made it clear that they didn't like the staff (and initially didn't want to be in our school) they had, and my present principal just showed themselves to be somewhat foolish and/or irrational. That's not the type of person I feel comfortable working for. That's not a leader to me. We've all had that moment in our lives where we wished we could turn back the hands of time beacuse of something we said or did. But in this industry, I've learned that first impressions lasts a long time in the minds of everyone within a school community. Our principal's disappointment would've been better received if the guilty culprit(s) were met with individually, rather than the whole taking the fall for a few parts.

Phil Jackson once said that people should change jobs every seven or eight years so as to avoid stagnation and/or frustration.

I'm up to year nine. Maybe it's seriously time to find another chalkboard to write on...

Here I go, turn the page...

As one focal point ends, another one begins. The 2009-10 school year in New York City begins in 4 days. Wednesday will be my 9th year as a 5th grade teacher. The other day, I thought back to my first group of students (who I might add are college freshmen. Geez, where'd the time go?), and wondered how many of their educational careers were affected by my first-year mistakes. I concluded the answer to be "Very few, if any at all". This isn't because I was so great, but because it was only one year of their lives. I pray that somewhere along the way they received that uber-teacher who atoned for my screw-ups. Believe me, there were many.

Suffice to say, I'll be shifting my gears from triathlon to lesson plans. Due to a bike malfunction, my season ended last Wednesday, much earlier than planned. I was in full training mode for my Sept. 20th tri when the bike breakdown occured. As I was riding through Elmhurst, Queens, on my way to the Flushing Meadows Aquatic Center, my right pedal plopped right off. Yep, right off the crankset. Distance-wise, I was stuck in a tough place: too far from home to walk, and too far from the pool to walk. I spent 90 minutes rescrewing the pedal with my hand (not successful), pliers (a waste of time) and a wrench (effective, but not secure enough to last a mile). A detailed inspection of my damages revealed that the grooves in which my pedals were supposed to screw into had been grounded into a groove-less metal hole. I decided to count my losses and give my bike away on the spot. It was either that or re-enact the opening scene to "The Incredible Hulk" T.V. show where David Banner lost his cool changing his tire in the rain. Walking home, I found a guy who repairs and re-sells bikes and sold him mine for $20. I'm guessing I should've gotten at least $100 for it (I had a $300 hybrid), but that's how much I wanted it out of my hands. In the meantime, I'll spend the next 6 months swimming, running, and spin-biking. I'll also be doing research on a new, top-shelf road bike. If there's anyone out there who can guide me to a decent bike store within the 5 boroughs, your help would be appreciated. Pardon me for sounding a bit delusional, but now I know how pro-athletes feel when their season ends early and they're forced to wait an extended period of time to get back to their sport.

Get ready for some good teaching stories...