I used to be able to surf the web during my off hours, heck, I used to have 15 minutes to sit down and have lunch with a few of the other teachers. I spent this entire week, without having 5 minutes to myself. I was not able to have lunch AT ALL this week. I was not able to go to the bathroom this entire week between the hours of 7 am and 3 pm. I wish I was kidding. I swear if I get a bladder infection, I am filing for workers' comp.
I have 2 52-minute periods in which I have to a) plan b) grade c) proctor make up tests d) tutor e) clean my room f) prepare for the next class g) do hall duty h) attend any counselor/admin meetings i) make copies... the list goes on and on.
It is very difficult for people outside of the "Teaching Bubble" to understand how incredibly consuming our jobs are. Many teachers will tell you they run to the bathroom... but my classroom happens to be on the other side of the school from where there is a bathroom... and two floors above the other nearest bathroom. It would easily take up over 7 minutes of my class time for me to "run" to the bathroom, and with 52 minute periods... 7 minutes is a LONG time. Also, if something were to happen while I am happily peeing on the other side of the school, like a lockdown, or a fire drill, or a kid getting hurt - guess who is liable?
Enough talk about peeing...
I also haven't posted because I was hoping I would wake up from that terrible dream I had about me getting into a car accident.
Except it was not a dream.
On September 7th, on my way to school and just about 2 miles away from my destination, I rear ended an Acura SUV. There was a broken light on Dry Creek and Broadway. I didn't see the guy in front of me stop - it was one of those "3 seconds of stupidity" everyone talks about - and I hit him. It took me, no kidding, about five minutes to get out of the car. I hurriedly took my phone out of my book bag and started dialing. No. I didn't call my mom. Or my dad. Or my sister. The first 7 - 10 phone calls I made were to figure out what I needed to do with my kids.
Once a teacher, always a teacher.
The people at school took great care of me. They were great and very supportive.
Once all the shit was said and done, and the tow truck - yes, my car was THAT bad (the SUV looked prime!) - was dragging my car to the impound lot, the cop asks "so, Brittmarie, what are you going to do? do you have someone coming to get you?" It hit me. I hadn't made ONE personal phone call. No one knew. Everyone was going on with their merry lives while I was having a panic attack on Broadway - during rush hour. I said "no. I am going to go the gas station and wait, I guess." The cop asked me if I would like a ride to work, since I was so close and I said yes.
I rode the back of a cop car for the first time in my entire life... and I sure hope it is the ONLY time.
He opened the little "window" in the car and said "See, since you are harmless I will even open up the window so we can talk." He was so very nice, I truly think he must've seen his daughter in me. He started off the whole process very sternly but then softened up as the time went by.
Officer Roberts dropped me off at school. I am SO thankful there were no students outside to see me getting out of the back of the police SUV! It was so intimidating! I never want to be a criminal - everrrr!
All the APs and the principal were there. They hugged me and patted me on the shoulder. They made me feel better and normal. All of them had had at least one accident where it was their fault. All of them have had speeding tickets or traffic-related violations. I just felt like such a failure.
I still do.
My car, Spikey-Loo, is at the shop. The damages are about 6 grand. He will be done somewhere around the 29th of September - God willing.
My first day back at the wheel was this past Monday. I have never been so freaked out in my life. I have been waking up with "car crash" dreams and I am still a little jumpy. It is crazy how lasting the effects of a minor crash can be... I can't imagine what my sister went through when she had her life-altering car crash many years ago. I wonder if she has nightmares today.
In other news, I took some of my Leadership/Student Government kids to a conference on the 10th. It was my first field trip - ever! The kids were amazing, and I had a blast. I half wished I was able to hang out with the kids all day, and not the sponsors. The kids were way more fun. I was able to skip out at the very end and hang out with them during the speaker, who was also unbelievable. Below, please enjoy a picture of my 16 beautiful Leadership freshmen and their even more fabulous advisor, Miss Bee. YAY CLASS OF 2014!
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