I'm pretending that it's taken me awhile to write a new post because, before this one, I had 1066 posts and it was pretty exciting to be at that number. For you non-history geeks, the year 1066 is considered a major turning point in England's history; it felt like this 1067th post should be as significant at the Battle of Hastings. But as tumultuous as teaching high school can be, I doubt it really compares to the start of the Middle Ages.
This full moon week began with me feeling a bit dejected by my students' unrelenting cries of "Reading is boring!" and "How is this important to REAL LIFE?" and "Whyyyyyyy do we have a quiz on a MONDAY?!?" Maybe that
is how King Harold II felt when Halley's Comet ominously appeared over England and William the Conqueror began marching into his country...Anyway. I trudged on, reading aloud and leading kids not too reluctantly through reasonably thoughtful discussions of
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Then, because I had another quiz scheduled for today, there came a storm of sadness from students planning
Senior Skip Day impromptu family trips to the beach. There would be no taking the quiz early or later if they did not have an official doctor's note excusing them, per our school policy;
every day can be Skip Day after June 15, young people. Gnashing of teeth and roaring laments ensued, much like the war cries of British and Norman soldiers, I'm sure. Yet I stood my ground.
This morning I found 2/3 of my students at school, ready for the quiz. I had cupcakes for all of them, and hearty thanks for valuing our time together. It was a fine day.
Keep calm and carry on, indeed.
