My First Week Back In Jr. High....Not Something I Ever Wanted To Re-live

I have been trying to think about what to post. And then it came to me....

My first week back in Jr. High.

I wonder if the kids were such little jerks when I was in Jr. High some 20+ years ago as they are today. Now granted, they are better than the horrible 6th graders from last year, but then again it is a much bigger school and you change classes every 40 or so minutes.

So the school is a much older school, like there is no A/C old. And of course we had to start back to school during the hottest, and I do mean the hottest week of summer. We hit triple digits for the first time all summer.

Now you know it is hot, when as soon as you walk through the doors a wave of hot air hits you and it is cooler outside than in.

Or when somebody just arrives and says "I am sweating already."

Or the conversations around the school with the faculty some what go like this...

1st: So how is it going?
2nd: it's hot
1st: I know, do you like it here?
2nd: is it always this hot?
1st: usually. How are you doing?
2nd: I'm hot.

And these are daily conversations. I try to think back to when I was in school, how the heck did we survive the heat? Oh wait, we didn't start school until after labor day!! And if it did get too hot or too cold for that matter, school was canceled!

Anyway, I work in a class that has 2 completely deaf kids and 5 deaf kids who can hear.

I work with one of the kids who is completely deaf.

One teeny tiny problem...

I only know enough sign to say go to the bathroom and to wash the table off.

Now how does that work you say...

I bought a sign language book and I am reading every page starting in the A's. Right now I am in the E's. I am slowly picking up the signs and the teacher I work with will show me signs if I ask.

So the first week,aside from being HOT, is over...only 176 days left.

Anyway this is what my day usually consists of

7:15-7:20 get to school, put my crap away and then talk with the classroom teacher.

7:35-7:40ish get kids off the bus and head to first hour, usually chasing my kid in the electric wheel chair around in circles, trying to get her to go to her class.

7:50-8:30 1st hour Health....we all remember what health class was...Sex Ed. Yes sex education with 8th graders...what a fun time.

8:35-9:10 2nd hour Home Ec, but now they call it something else like domestic goddess science or some garbage like that. I call it foods class, even though it's not all cooking.

9:15-10 3rd hour either it's science or English, I don't know which, but we are back in my classroom and I can sit and study my sign language book.

10ish to sometime 4th hour it's either English or science, I still don't know which and at this point it feels as if the day will never end and I am going to die in my corner, behind my desk, over my sign language book. And I take my break in a really hot room they have give to USDB to use.

5th hour is 7th and 8th grade math then lunch, which is so much fun since I have to sit in the lunch room with 50 million Tweens and teens. Oh did I mention,that it is also hot in there? Well it is.

6th hour is History. Now it wouldn't be too bad in here, except then teacher closes the door!!! There are no windows, it's another cave classroom. I sweat more in this class than I do ALL DAY combined.

7th hour is fun finish homework, get my kid to cooperate study hall.

Then it is out to the bus, making sure she doesn't mow down any of the clueless in a world of their own students and she doesn't get flatten as a pancake my a big diesel f350 or a bus.

Once that has been completed, I drag myself up 30 steps to my hot hot hot car, praying the fan is still working and go home, listening to Sugarland Incredible Machine along way, racing towards my nice not just cool, but cold dark house and a shower, just to get ready and do it all over again tomorrow.