I am quite secure in my sanity despite the recent "ribbing" I have taken my friends and co-workers regarding my new obsession of Facebook. For those of you who have not come over to the darkside, Facebook is an online social networking site that allows people all over the planet to share thoughts, photos, updates etc... that link to their "friends" together via news feed. Given I have always considered myself a student (teacher) of sociology, this absolutely fascinates me! I have so many well defined "chapters" of my life, it has given me the opportunity to "marry" each chapter and connect an otherwise disjointed group of people in my life. I am quite thrilled that I now have 186 "friends" and absolutely love being able to "get to know them" on a much deeper level.
I mention this not only to publicly admit my psychosis, but to share a comment that touched my heart which was posted on high school friend's Facebook wall, "I have came a long way from my humble beginning in XXXXX. I was made fun of, mocked, talked about and ignored. But I wouldn't take anything for my journey. I never could have made it without the Lord." This precious person always had a bright beautiful smile and I would have never guessed that there was a deep hurt in her life. The truth of the matter is that we were ALL insecure kids who grew up in rural Southern Arkansas... none of us had anything to really brag about given our limited knowledge and experience of the world around us. But... our little high school like any other had it's share of narcissism.
All too often, I deal with teenagers living in cities 100 times the size of my own small hometown that could quote the exact words. Teenage years are painful! Other teenagers make it more painful than it has to be! And regardless of their location or position in life, they all feel the bumps and bruises and hopefully come out on the adult side prepared for the real world. As adults we "know" how to set social boundaries... or do we?
We are bullied as kids, which set us for a plethora of adult mental conditions... enabling, obsessive compulsive disorders, narcissism, addictive disorders only to name a few. As I see it, we are failing to teach our kids how to set "boundaries" with those around them. One of the best books I've read is by Christian author, Henry Cloud, entitled Boundaries. While in Texas, I co-taught a book study of Boundaries in our church, and I was amazed by all the "I've got it all together" women who were deeply touched by this book... including myself!
Being in school administrator in post-Columbine America, I quote this book often. When children are bullied to the point they bring weapons to school and kill their classmates and the adults to failed to do anything about their pain, we have a problem. School officials can suspend bullies over and over and it will not solve the problem. We need to equip our kids how to deal with those who routinely make stupid comments.
Children need to be taught how to develop "healthy boundaries" with their peers. As adults we face this every day! This week I had three examples of it myself. A number of campus security officers came to my office complaining of one of their co-workers who constantly crossed from his area to theirs to tell them how to do their job. As you can imagine they weren't very happy about the situation. I used the analogy of playing volleyball and just when the ball is coming your direction some hot shot steps in front of you and spikes it over the net... It pisses you off! Yet, everday we deal with folks who jump in front of us ready to whack the ball. I had a similar conversation with a colleague about a "pet project" of mine... stay off of my court!
When discussing a former boss, my current principal always asks me the same question, "Why do you give him so much power to upset you"? Not everyone is going to like you, accept you, or think that you are the most smart/gifted/beautiful person on the earth. So why do we care so much what these people think? By allowing their negativity to effect our mood or even feelings about ourselves we are in essence giving them "power over us."
If I had a quarter for every kid I suspended who fought because, "he was mad-dogging me" or "she called me fat/ugly/thin/homely etc... " I could retire and write this blog professionally! We are failing to teach our kids the appropriate way to deal with criticism. Sure it hurts, but chances are, the bully who said those things are feeling pretty crappy about themselves too or they wouldn't be saying those things in the first place. Think about it, happy people are not overly critical.
Furthermore, as adults when did it become OK to verbally berate others? This week I hung up on a mother who blamed the school for her child's ditching. Then she proceeded to begin cursing... I first told her to calm down, then when she dropped a "GD" on me, I simply hung up on her... she can just explain her kid's behavior to the judge! Folks you do not have the right to be verbally abusive to folks doing their jobs! And yes, we have the right to hang up on you or march your behinds out the front door when you do so! Sometimes even in families it is necessary to put distance between those we love to stop verbal abuse and remove toxic behavior from our lives.
There will ALWAYS be bullies... from rural southern Arkansas to Los Angeles. It is our job to teach our children healthy boundaries, and model them ourselves. Giving abusive folks power over us, only hurts us. By stepping back realizing that the problem is with the abuser, is the ONLY way to defeat them and allow the healing to begin.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
5-8-09 - Beating Your Head on Concrete Walls
In this profession there are some days, you go home feeling that if you had spent your day banging your head against the concrete school house walls you might have actually been more productive. Full moons and spring fever do strange things to kids, and when you couple the possibility of "swine flu" you are just asking for more than you bargained! My day began with a summonsed to my boss's office. Being called to his office before school can only mean one of three things, 1) You have peeved some parent that is now screaming at him 2) The Superintendent called 3) Someone has died. The perspective of any of the options was not appealing, especially since I had not had my first cup of coffee for the day!
I was joined by my colleagues and we sat listening of how we could possibly have our first case of the "swine flu." News emerged from last night's volleyball game and one of the young men could have been infected as early as last week's prom... we all sat in the room with him! Concerned that these were NOT confirmed cases, the boss was afraid it would travel quickly through the grapevine and wanted a plan of action so that we didn't cause undo panic in the school and community. We agreed we would wait to hear from County Health officials and would direct all calls to the Nurse's office. (Later found out both boys had plain garden variety flu!) We also agreed that this would NOT be a good day, but little did we know how bad it would be and it would have nothing to do with panicked parents, kissing pigs, or sanitizing the gym! It had been a long week, we were all sick and exhausted... and we just wanted the day to be over!
We delayed our management meeting to allow counselors to begin Advanced Placement (AP) testing and quickly moved through the depressing agenda. Still no money, layoffs ahead and no hope in sight... then one by one the assistant principals were called out. Agitated by whatever environmental force you choose to blame, the children started behaving badly! My first case was an emotionally disturbed kid who told the teacher he'd do what he wanted that she couldn't tell him what to do... I didn't finish this one before panic calls started echoing over our now broken radio system.
Diego (you can't forget him) and Tyrone was facing off and standing behind them were groups of Latino males and African American males, now postured for the battle of the century! My colleagues escorted the two to the office and quickly dispersed the rest to their respective educational responsibilities. I left my ED kid in a fury as I had "dealt" this this situation two days ago and I wasn't in the mood for a repeat performance!
I walked into my colleague's office to find my boss sitting with Diego who was bobbing up and down from his seat slapping his fist in his hand and breathing like a rabid animal. I sat down, and said "Breathe." After we calmed him a bit... I asked him what had happened. He reported that Tyrone had been giving him looks (mad dogging) and he went up to him and said "Why you looking at me while I am with my lady"? Tyrone, later reported that he lost his temper at this point because Diego's friends wouldn't leave him alone regarding a situation that occured off campus (neither Diego or Tyrone were involved)... so he threw down his back pack and was ready to rumble! Diego became more and more agitated as he told his story... to the point I yelled for a secretary to call the police. Being that he was now on probation for gun charges this calmed him a bit. I asked him why he went up to the young man after I specifically told him to stay away from him? He replied, "I knew you would turn this around on me... I walked away I didn't hit him because my lady was there." I congratulated him on his few seconds of wisdom, then again asked him if he understood that his actions are what caused this mess to begin with... and why didn't he come to the office instead. He replied, "I don't do things that way."
I shook my head... for a moment I had forgotten that it was Diego's world and the rest of us were just passing through. Now totally frustrated, I told my boss that I was going to call his Probation Officer and left the room. I had just hung up my phone, when four police officers emerged with Truman (also mentioned several times in blog) in cuffs. According to their report, while we were "calming Diego," Truman decided to steal a pizza from the cafeteria. When asked to return it by and come with a Campus Supervisor, he rubbed it on his crotch and walked away! He refused to come to the office with any school personnel, and it took a police officer taking him to the ground (after he swung at him) to get him to my office. He was also swinging back and forth in the chair referring to the arresting officer with a racial slur and spitting on the floor. I spent the next twenty minutes calming Truman and calling for his father to come get him.
I stepped out of the office only to see my boss running to the side door telling me to come that their was another fight in the five building. By the time we arrived others had handled the situation of yet another face off and my colleague was being yelled out by a group of students all wearing red. It seems that Tyrone's "friends and family" network had now taken up his cause and was causing havoc. My colleague escorted them all to the office suspended them and spent the rest of the afternoon explaining to their parents why they could no longer wear the color red to school!
When I walked back into the office, I noticed yet another police officer standing by a door, to find Kevin, harmless member of the frequent- flyer club, sitting in the administrative conference room also in cuffs. I shook my head and laughed as I asked the officer... "and what did he do"? He was associated with the Truman incident and also refused to stop for the police.
Truman and Diego were now suspended. Diego was still "on ice" waiting for a nice little conference with the Boys in Blue. While waiting, Diego commented to my colleague, "if you suspend me there will be a riot on this campus." His counselor warned him about making threats, he replied, "it is not a threat it is a promise." HALLELUJAH!!!! We FINALLY have grounds to go for expulsion and get rid of him!!! Of course this was unknown to me, who was at the time calling my friend at the district office stating that it was "Bull S--" that he was at our school in the first place only because had threatened to "run away from home" if he was sent to the county school! Heck, I would have even offered to help him pack!!!
After that it became a blur, the last thing I remember is submitting paperwork for a drug bust that found it's way into the mix of chaos. Twelve suspensions and one expulsion later we thought all was calm... until the final bell rang. We were called to the quad for three additional unrelated fights that we will be dealing with come Monday morning!
There isn't a doubt in my mind that school officials suffer from traumatic stress disorder after a day like this... when I finally finished all my remaining paperwork at 6:00 pm, I went home and literally fell on my bed with tears rolling down my face. We had lost today's battle... my motto for the remainder of the school year is "Take No Prisoners." It is amazing how TWO kids can disrupt the entire school in one of the safest cities in America... this can not and WILL NOT happen again!
This is warfare people!
I was joined by my colleagues and we sat listening of how we could possibly have our first case of the "swine flu." News emerged from last night's volleyball game and one of the young men could have been infected as early as last week's prom... we all sat in the room with him! Concerned that these were NOT confirmed cases, the boss was afraid it would travel quickly through the grapevine and wanted a plan of action so that we didn't cause undo panic in the school and community. We agreed we would wait to hear from County Health officials and would direct all calls to the Nurse's office. (Later found out both boys had plain garden variety flu!) We also agreed that this would NOT be a good day, but little did we know how bad it would be and it would have nothing to do with panicked parents, kissing pigs, or sanitizing the gym! It had been a long week, we were all sick and exhausted... and we just wanted the day to be over!
We delayed our management meeting to allow counselors to begin Advanced Placement (AP) testing and quickly moved through the depressing agenda. Still no money, layoffs ahead and no hope in sight... then one by one the assistant principals were called out. Agitated by whatever environmental force you choose to blame, the children started behaving badly! My first case was an emotionally disturbed kid who told the teacher he'd do what he wanted that she couldn't tell him what to do... I didn't finish this one before panic calls started echoing over our now broken radio system.
Diego (you can't forget him) and Tyrone was facing off and standing behind them were groups of Latino males and African American males, now postured for the battle of the century! My colleagues escorted the two to the office and quickly dispersed the rest to their respective educational responsibilities. I left my ED kid in a fury as I had "dealt" this this situation two days ago and I wasn't in the mood for a repeat performance!
I walked into my colleague's office to find my boss sitting with Diego who was bobbing up and down from his seat slapping his fist in his hand and breathing like a rabid animal. I sat down, and said "Breathe." After we calmed him a bit... I asked him what had happened. He reported that Tyrone had been giving him looks (mad dogging) and he went up to him and said "Why you looking at me while I am with my lady"? Tyrone, later reported that he lost his temper at this point because Diego's friends wouldn't leave him alone regarding a situation that occured off campus (neither Diego or Tyrone were involved)... so he threw down his back pack and was ready to rumble! Diego became more and more agitated as he told his story... to the point I yelled for a secretary to call the police. Being that he was now on probation for gun charges this calmed him a bit. I asked him why he went up to the young man after I specifically told him to stay away from him? He replied, "I knew you would turn this around on me... I walked away I didn't hit him because my lady was there." I congratulated him on his few seconds of wisdom, then again asked him if he understood that his actions are what caused this mess to begin with... and why didn't he come to the office instead. He replied, "I don't do things that way."
I shook my head... for a moment I had forgotten that it was Diego's world and the rest of us were just passing through. Now totally frustrated, I told my boss that I was going to call his Probation Officer and left the room. I had just hung up my phone, when four police officers emerged with Truman (also mentioned several times in blog) in cuffs. According to their report, while we were "calming Diego," Truman decided to steal a pizza from the cafeteria. When asked to return it by and come with a Campus Supervisor, he rubbed it on his crotch and walked away! He refused to come to the office with any school personnel, and it took a police officer taking him to the ground (after he swung at him) to get him to my office. He was also swinging back and forth in the chair referring to the arresting officer with a racial slur and spitting on the floor. I spent the next twenty minutes calming Truman and calling for his father to come get him.
I stepped out of the office only to see my boss running to the side door telling me to come that their was another fight in the five building. By the time we arrived others had handled the situation of yet another face off and my colleague was being yelled out by a group of students all wearing red. It seems that Tyrone's "friends and family" network had now taken up his cause and was causing havoc. My colleague escorted them all to the office suspended them and spent the rest of the afternoon explaining to their parents why they could no longer wear the color red to school!
When I walked back into the office, I noticed yet another police officer standing by a door, to find Kevin, harmless member of the frequent- flyer club, sitting in the administrative conference room also in cuffs. I shook my head and laughed as I asked the officer... "and what did he do"? He was associated with the Truman incident and also refused to stop for the police.
Truman and Diego were now suspended. Diego was still "on ice" waiting for a nice little conference with the Boys in Blue. While waiting, Diego commented to my colleague, "if you suspend me there will be a riot on this campus." His counselor warned him about making threats, he replied, "it is not a threat it is a promise." HALLELUJAH!!!! We FINALLY have grounds to go for expulsion and get rid of him!!! Of course this was unknown to me, who was at the time calling my friend at the district office stating that it was "Bull S--" that he was at our school in the first place only because had threatened to "run away from home" if he was sent to the county school! Heck, I would have even offered to help him pack!!!
After that it became a blur, the last thing I remember is submitting paperwork for a drug bust that found it's way into the mix of chaos. Twelve suspensions and one expulsion later we thought all was calm... until the final bell rang. We were called to the quad for three additional unrelated fights that we will be dealing with come Monday morning!
There isn't a doubt in my mind that school officials suffer from traumatic stress disorder after a day like this... when I finally finished all my remaining paperwork at 6:00 pm, I went home and literally fell on my bed with tears rolling down my face. We had lost today's battle... my motto for the remainder of the school year is "Take No Prisoners." It is amazing how TWO kids can disrupt the entire school in one of the safest cities in America... this can not and WILL NOT happen again!
This is warfare people!
Friday, May 8, 2009
5-7-09 - Today Show - Story of Inspriation
When the odds are against us... continue running the race!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/30579116#30579116
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/30579116#30579116
Sunday, May 3, 2009
5-3-09 - STAR WARS
The most dreaded part of my year... annual standardized testing! In California these is called STAR tests.. which includes Content Standards Tests (CST) CAPA (for low level SPED children) and now STS (standard exams in Spanish speaking students who have been in the country less than 12 months... guess state doesn't care about other languages???) Although I am never at a loss of words to complain about this process, I must admit it is better than when I first moved to the Sunshine State eight year ago when teachers literally lost two instructional months to testing.
After eight years and thirteen revisions to the schedule this year, my boss and I finally worked what I consider to be the best schedule ever! Students were to report to school ONLY when they were testing... to avoid the mass check out in the front office because our students each year would convince their parents that they couldn't sit in a room and watch a video/study for an hour. And... since children now rule to world, parents would take off work and check them out by the hundreds so they wouldn't get bored. Not a fun moment for the office staff!!!
To avoid overlapping the STAR exams with Advance Placement Exams (AP) and/or make ups for California High School Exit Exams (CAHSEE) we opted to test at the beginning of the testing window... which meant giving up half of my spring break to begin the set up which usually takes at least six full days in THE HOLE. On the east side of our Multipurpose Room lies a dusty, smelly old textbook room I have claimed to set up testing each year. Because I literally feel banished from civilization during testing, I have loving named it "THE HOLE."
I was joined by my precious secretary, Debbie and our incredible lead campus supervisor, Helen to prepare for the monster exam. About 2000 students are provided a separate grade-level exam booklets for English and (11th grade social studies) as well as separate booklets for both science and math end of course exams. The 10th grade World History exam is in a separate exam booklet as well. In my wisdom, I suggested to the math and English departments to give benchmark exams to 9th graders since they did not take exams in social science which also have to be sorted and placed in the bins.
Now if this isn't confusing enough, our school prides itself as being student-centered... meaning we do what is right for kids! So... we found that for some students, the traditional two semester Algebra and Geometry courses were too fast paced, so we broke down Algebra I to Algebra A, Algebra B, Algebra C and Geometry to Geometry A, Geometry B, Geometry C. This is good for kids... bad for Pam!! This means each child's math exam must each be verified one by one. For example: if a student is in 9th grade and enrolled in General Math, Consumer Math, Concepts of Algebra, Algebra A or Algebra B... they must take the General Math Exam. If a student is a 10th grader and is in any of the previously listed math courses they do not take a math exam... because even with a perfect score would be rated is "Far Below Basic" because they are below the grade level. If a student is enrolled in Geometry A or Geometry B they must take the Algebra I exam even though they are currently enrolled in a Geometry class because they have not reached the highest level of the course. Probability and Stats students do not take an exam, but AP Probability and Stats take a Summative Math exam. ANY WONDER I GO HOME WITH A HEADACHE?!!!
Now remember that during the six days of setting up these "blessed" testing bins (total of 88 bins) they are packed with all the materials needed, including answer documents, exams booklets for each subject (student names attached with stickers on the exams), Directions for Administration book, pencils, scratch paper, etc... This is quite a monumental task!!!
And the most frustrating part of this entire process is the questions that occur during testing. Now I realize I am not the most patient person on the planet, but I train proctors each period all day a few days before testing complete Power Point handouts as well as time for questions at the end. I am so Type A, I even make a "Potty Break" schedule so everyone will know when their breaks are scheduled and who will be providing them. I printed the phone number to the Teachers Lounge at the bottom so that any one needing an extra break could call and someone was assigned to the phone as well as potty breakers "on call" for such emergencies. Knowing questions would surely follow... each day I provide a "QUICK INSTRUCTIONS" complete with the page to start reading directions and what time to begin each exam. Some questions are so frustrating to me that this year I posted the TOP TEN STAR QUESTIONS OF 2009 on my Facebook page:
1. Where are my answer docs?
2. Which Science exam are we giving on Day 1?
3. Why don't I get an extra break because I have 10th graders w/extra exam?
4. Do I have to stay in the teachers lounge why I am "On Call"?
5. What is the phone # for the teacher's lounge?
6. What if I am running late and can't get through to the switchboard?
7. Where do I bubble the version # for the English exam?
8. What page are the questions on again?
9. I can't find the Directions for Admin in the student books
10. Can I change my break schedule 30 mins earlier so I can go get a swim in before the aquatics class meets???
ARGH!!! After answering all of these questions during training (except the last one... didn't think of that one) it goes without saying that I am NOT a nice person during the testing process!
STAR testing (AKA STAR WARS) went well this year... with the possible exceptions of the staff member who left the popcorn in the microwave too long and set off the fire alarm in the middle of the math exam, and the teacher who sent the one kid who had not finished to the office because she had not finished the exam when everyone else did early - had to call the state over that one!
Friday finally arrived and all I had to do is sort the makeup exams for the following week. The task began at 9:00 AM, I finally finished about 5:45 PM! (This was just in time to go supervise a volleyball game which began at 6:00 PM) I walked in the gym to make sure the campus supervisors had my cell number and walked to the next building where "THE HOLE" is located. I looked up at the mound of testing bins that needed to be inventoried for shipment, took a deep breath and thought... I am exhausted, but I can do this! About that time there was a BIG JERK!!! The bins swayed and rattled around me... IT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE!!! It was over as suddenly as it came... luckily nothing collapsed on my head. I sat down in the broken rolley chair I had claimed for THE HOLE and began laughing. What irony... so much of my life is consumed by TESTING, how strange would it have been if come Monday morning, Debbie had to dig my life-less body from under a mound of testing bins???? Lord help us! I can only begin to imagine my epithet now!!!
After eight years and thirteen revisions to the schedule this year, my boss and I finally worked what I consider to be the best schedule ever! Students were to report to school ONLY when they were testing... to avoid the mass check out in the front office because our students each year would convince their parents that they couldn't sit in a room and watch a video/study for an hour. And... since children now rule to world, parents would take off work and check them out by the hundreds so they wouldn't get bored. Not a fun moment for the office staff!!!
To avoid overlapping the STAR exams with Advance Placement Exams (AP) and/or make ups for California High School Exit Exams (CAHSEE) we opted to test at the beginning of the testing window... which meant giving up half of my spring break to begin the set up which usually takes at least six full days in THE HOLE. On the east side of our Multipurpose Room lies a dusty, smelly old textbook room I have claimed to set up testing each year. Because I literally feel banished from civilization during testing, I have loving named it "THE HOLE."
I was joined by my precious secretary, Debbie and our incredible lead campus supervisor, Helen to prepare for the monster exam. About 2000 students are provided a separate grade-level exam booklets for English and (11th grade social studies) as well as separate booklets for both science and math end of course exams. The 10th grade World History exam is in a separate exam booklet as well. In my wisdom, I suggested to the math and English departments to give benchmark exams to 9th graders since they did not take exams in social science which also have to be sorted and placed in the bins.
Now if this isn't confusing enough, our school prides itself as being student-centered... meaning we do what is right for kids! So... we found that for some students, the traditional two semester Algebra and Geometry courses were too fast paced, so we broke down Algebra I to Algebra A, Algebra B, Algebra C and Geometry to Geometry A, Geometry B, Geometry C. This is good for kids... bad for Pam!! This means each child's math exam must each be verified one by one. For example: if a student is in 9th grade and enrolled in General Math, Consumer Math, Concepts of Algebra, Algebra A or Algebra B... they must take the General Math Exam. If a student is a 10th grader and is in any of the previously listed math courses they do not take a math exam... because even with a perfect score would be rated is "Far Below Basic" because they are below the grade level. If a student is enrolled in Geometry A or Geometry B they must take the Algebra I exam even though they are currently enrolled in a Geometry class because they have not reached the highest level of the course. Probability and Stats students do not take an exam, but AP Probability and Stats take a Summative Math exam. ANY WONDER I GO HOME WITH A HEADACHE?!!!
Now remember that during the six days of setting up these "blessed" testing bins (total of 88 bins) they are packed with all the materials needed, including answer documents, exams booklets for each subject (student names attached with stickers on the exams), Directions for Administration book, pencils, scratch paper, etc... This is quite a monumental task!!!
And the most frustrating part of this entire process is the questions that occur during testing. Now I realize I am not the most patient person on the planet, but I train proctors each period all day a few days before testing complete Power Point handouts as well as time for questions at the end. I am so Type A, I even make a "Potty Break" schedule so everyone will know when their breaks are scheduled and who will be providing them. I printed the phone number to the Teachers Lounge at the bottom so that any one needing an extra break could call and someone was assigned to the phone as well as potty breakers "on call" for such emergencies. Knowing questions would surely follow... each day I provide a "QUICK INSTRUCTIONS" complete with the page to start reading directions and what time to begin each exam. Some questions are so frustrating to me that this year I posted the TOP TEN STAR QUESTIONS OF 2009 on my Facebook page:
1. Where are my answer docs?
2. Which Science exam are we giving on Day 1?
3. Why don't I get an extra break because I have 10th graders w/extra exam?
4. Do I have to stay in the teachers lounge why I am "On Call"?
5. What is the phone # for the teacher's lounge?
6. What if I am running late and can't get through to the switchboard?
7. Where do I bubble the version # for the English exam?
8. What page are the questions on again?
9. I can't find the Directions for Admin in the student books
10. Can I change my break schedule 30 mins earlier so I can go get a swim in before the aquatics class meets???
ARGH!!! After answering all of these questions during training (except the last one... didn't think of that one) it goes without saying that I am NOT a nice person during the testing process!
STAR testing (AKA STAR WARS) went well this year... with the possible exceptions of the staff member who left the popcorn in the microwave too long and set off the fire alarm in the middle of the math exam, and the teacher who sent the one kid who had not finished to the office because she had not finished the exam when everyone else did early - had to call the state over that one!
Friday finally arrived and all I had to do is sort the makeup exams for the following week. The task began at 9:00 AM, I finally finished about 5:45 PM! (This was just in time to go supervise a volleyball game which began at 6:00 PM) I walked in the gym to make sure the campus supervisors had my cell number and walked to the next building where "THE HOLE" is located. I looked up at the mound of testing bins that needed to be inventoried for shipment, took a deep breath and thought... I am exhausted, but I can do this! About that time there was a BIG JERK!!! The bins swayed and rattled around me... IT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE!!! It was over as suddenly as it came... luckily nothing collapsed on my head. I sat down in the broken rolley chair I had claimed for THE HOLE and began laughing. What irony... so much of my life is consumed by TESTING, how strange would it have been if come Monday morning, Debbie had to dig my life-less body from under a mound of testing bins???? Lord help us! I can only begin to imagine my epithet now!!!
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