Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I can hear a cricket chirping and can't determine if it's in my house or outside. I'm sitting at the computer with the patio door open, so there's a good chance I'm hearing one that's outside, but in the past couple of weeks I have seen a cricket or two in the house (but not on the hearth). I don't love crickets, but I don't dislike them necessarily. What I do NOT enjoy about them is how high, far, and fast they jump when you try to sneak up on them to catch them in a cup and put them back outside. That always startles me and creeps me out at the same time.

We had a staff meeting this afternoon and the main discussion was about the emergency drill we're having this week. It's required by the school district, no big deal, but when the meeting was done I felt like my head was spinning on one of those paint spinner machines you used to see at carnivals. Our principal was talking really fast and kept changing what he was saying, and I was having such a hard time following him. Someone would ask a clarifying question and he'd say something like "Hmm. yeah, we'd better change that" but it wasn't clear what was changing. The document he gave us about the drill had quite a few errors--things that had been correct at one time, but had been changed as late as an hour before the meeting but hadn't been changed on the document. He was blowing through things pretty quickly, and some of the things would have quite an impact on a few classes. It was maddening. I can see his need to get through things and not sit there and dissect the thing to bits, but he needs to slow down and give people time to think and ask questions. He's terrible at "wait time"--asking a question then waiting with dead space so people can process things. he always says things like, "Anybody else have anything to say? No? Okay then-- we're done". He seems kind of annoyed when people keep asking questions--but in the classroom if kids keep asking questions, it almost always means the directions weren't made very clear.
I think he needs to be on Ritalin. And I need to find another job.

4 comments:

Laurie said...

One time my principal presented this lockstep new model, and gave us, like 3.5 second wait time. Then he said, "OK, when nobody talks, then I just assume you all agree." So, naturally, I 'splained things to him. duh!

Anonymous said...

Blogeois said...

The Chinese believe having a cricket in your house is good luck. I prefer to think having one nearby but outdoors is better. I don't dislike them either but they do kind of creep me out when they jump.

Anonymous said...

I dislike them. I dislike them a great deal. They are nasty and creepy and I hate the sound they make. I hope it isn't in your house.

Btw, we had the BEST conversations in class about the book Rules. Thanks for recommending it. =)

Anonymous said...

Well, I never liked the guy (principal) so I don't have anything productive to say at all.

I can hear crickets chirping too...everytime I open your blog! haha..I kill.