First Day of School.....

As first days of school go, this one wasn't bad at all. I always dread it, but it's never as bad as I'm afraid it's going to be, particularly in my current setting. I don't have to talk the whole period, though I talked more today than I'm used to just because I was going over all the rules and procedures.

We have a new superintendent, and I'm not going to pass any judgment here because I don't want to be encouraged to resign for something I've posted on the internet.

On our first day of pre-planning, all the high school teachers had to meet together. We had assigned seats by department. There was a little semi-circle of teachers right in front of the new superintendent. Guess what department that was? P.E. coaches.

Our new superintendent

Sang.

To.

Us.

Oh yes she did.

I had been told that she is a tremendous reader of body language and facial expression, so I tried very hard not to let my feelings show. I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed for her. And I thought I was going to have to discipline the teacher next to me, a former student of mine who has been teaching for five years.

Can I be that old?

I also have it on good authority that our new superintendent made a surprise appearance at one of the high schools today -- always a fan favorite to show up unannounced in the chaos that is a first day of school in an overcrowded high school -- and there was a scene with a student who wasn't supposed to be there because he had been assigned to the alternative school.

The superintendent then called a meeting with all three high school principals at 1:30 today at the board office. On the first day of school. Pulled out of their buildings on the first day of school. Because of one student.

Nice.

But I'm not passing judgment.