Fish Out of Water...

I was flattered to have my college English class anecdote to be included in the Student Tutor Blog written by Dressler Parsons.

Since that interview, I now recall a H.S. incident that would have worked better.

No one wants to be a standout for the wrong reasons in High School, especially after transferring into a new H.S. as a sophomore.

P.E. was still a required class for all students with one exception. If you were on a H.S. athletic team, your team's daily practice counted as your "P.E" requirement.

Since I was on the swim team for my previous school, I signed up for the swim team at my new school.

The first week, I showed up at the pool every day after school for practice. The Monday after the first week, the coach intercepted me before I got in the water.

He told me he was notified by the school office that I wasn't enrolled for the swim team but was, instead, enrolled in last period general P.E. Until they got the paperwork straightened out, I would have to report for regular P.E. starting today.

At this point, I should point out that since I believed I WAS on the swim team, I didn't sign out any P.E. clothes at the beginning of school. When I pointed this out, the coach said he couldn't help.  

"You'll have to sort it out with the P.E. instructor."

So..I walk out to the field where "my P.E. class" is doing drills, hopefully to get a pass for at least today. No such luck. The P.E. instructor made me do all the drills barefoot and almost totally naked wearing only my red, white and blue Speedo.

Talk about first impressions at a new school.

I Should Know How To Operate a Door, Right?...

I have been working mostly afternoon half-day assignments Aug/Sept. It is nice not having the morning alarm interrupting my sleep cycle at zero dark thirty in the morning.

Now I've had my share of malfunctioning classroom equipment before, but a door key should not be all that complicated to operate.

On one afternoon, I arrived at the school for my 11:30 third grade class. I checked in at the office, got the classroom key&leash and went to my assigned classroom.

I inserted the key, twisted it clockwise, pulled the self-locking door open in one fluid motion. With my hand still on the key as the door was closing behind me, I tried to extract the key from the lock before the door closed and almost dislocated my shoulder.  

The key was stuck in the lock.

No matter much I jiggled, bumped, twisted left and right, the key would not come out. Seeing my less than impressive classroom entrance, the teacher came over and did some magic twist maneuver to remove the key. She informed me that that the district was supposed to have the lock repaired soon but it was a low priority item.

Every time I had to leave the classroom with the kids at lunch, recess and afternoon PE, I had to leave the key in the lock and call someone from the school office come remove the key for me.