Plastic Butts

I don't intend to talk about work too much because the situation there is just a little too depressing and I don't want to bring you all down with stories of how ridiculous this education system can really be. That being said, there are a few things I would like to share that you might get a kick out of. Over the summer, the school decided to "renovate" the science lab to make it "new and improved." In reality, they completely gutted the room, starting from ground up to put in new cabinetry, desks, gas, electricity... basically, they made it a completely new science lab, which is supposed to be equipped with state-of-the-art supplies and technology. However, it is now nearing the end of October, and only last week were they FINALLY able to give me electricity. Don't get me wrong, I had lights in the room, but none of the plugs were functional, so, of course the obvious solution to that would be to run an extension cord from the classroom next door, duct tape it to the wall along the hall, and feed it into my room so I can at least use an overhead projector. Naturally.

Just getting around the room is a challenge in itself. Within the first four weeks of the school year, new sets of boxes were being brought up, full of various "science kits" (don't even get me started), books, and (mostly useless) supplies for the lab. These quickly filled up any empty storage space that was left, along with any counter and floor space that might be used for other reasons like, I don't know, walking. Luckily, they gave us some (paid) time to sort through all of the nonsense. Most of the boxes were filled with various science supplies that aligned with the curriculum i.e. acids, bases, plastic syringes (without needles, of course), various measurement tools, etc. One box, however, stood out above all the rest. One of the units I'm expected to teach this year is the human body, so when I opened a box labeled as such, I didn't expect to be surprised or confused. To my horror, upon opening said box, I found a semi-anatomically correct and completely useless plastic mold of a male human body. Basically, there was a stack of about 8-10 trays that looked like "fronts" and 8-10 trays that looked like "backs." What I am actually supposed to do with these things, I have no idea. I'm not sure where the scientific or educational value is in a mold of a perfectly shaped human buttocks, except to motivate me to keep running. So, I simply stuffed them back in their box and found a place for it, along with the other 50 boxes of wasted money.

Then, last week, the radiators in the classroom kicked on over the weekend to accommodate for the cold front we've been having out here. So, I walked in to the room on Monday to a cloud of dust and haze. If it wasn't for the smell of burnt dust, I would have thought I was in the basement on That 70's Show. Needless to say, I wasn't able to teach in my classroom all day while the haze cleared. As the week went on, I continued to encounter the smell upon entering my classroom each morning, although the haze progressively improved.

The progress of the classroom is slow and my patience continues to be tested on a daily basis as new challenges arise. I guess I should look on the bright side... at least I have plastic butts.