im gonna get it right
Teaching Gripe O’ The Day
About a month ago, I received an email from the Bookroom Lady about my core novel assignment for Senior Literature & Composition. Bookroom Lady said:
“You are scheduled to receive Hamlet on November 5th”.
Excellent. At the time I was 3/4 of the way through the Canterbury Tales unit in our textbook, and figured I could finish the C.Tales and do the first half of the Renaissance chapter, which would be a perfect lead-in to Hamlet. My planning was impeccable. Everything fell into place beautifully. I was all set. I had Hamlet plans ready to go for today. The 5th of November. The advent of Hamlet.
During first period today, Bookroom Lady calls me and says, “You are going to hate me, but I only have 21 copies of Hamlet. Relatively New Senior English Teacher (RNSET) has had her copies for over a month. What do you want to do?”
I rolled my eyes as I heard the noise in my classroom escalate. My freshman cannot handle a single second of unscheduled time. “Um, well how soon can I get them?” You know, cause I was planning to start reading today. You know, cause that’s when I’m supposed to get my books.
“I’m going to talk to RNSET and see when she’ll be done right now. Come by my office during your prep and we’ll figure it out. I think I can get them for you tomorrow.”
Fantastic. One day isn’t too bad, right? I can handle this. I can re-plan on the fly. I know! I’ll have my seniors do a journal on “revenge” and assign a “revenge in modern culture” writing assignment. Perfect.
I go see Bookroom Lady during my prep. She looks grim.
“RNSET is only on Act 3.”
“Oh. Interesting.” Act 3? Seriously? What has she been doing for the past month with this play?!
“But I’ll get you your books. I’ll go to The Other, Newer High School and borrow theirs if I have to. You are on the schedule. You will get your books.”
Hmf. Things are not looking positive, although I trust Bookroom Lady’s connections with the other high school.
During 4th period, I get an email from Department Head:
“Would you mind delaying Hamlet one week? RNSET is still using them.”
One week? Ugh. I sent a brief (and snippy, I’ll admit it) reply:
“I suppose I can reschedule something on the fly, since there doesn’t seem to be any other option. I was planning to begin in-class reading tomorrow.”
The reply came quickly:
“It’s unfortunate. I thought RNSET would be done by now, but she started later than she said she would and should have been done by now. Apparently she won’t be done until Nov 14. Have you started the Renaissance unit? Maybe you could start with Elizabethan poetry, maybe the sonnets.”
I didn’t bother replying, since I knew I would only sound bitchy, but I’ve already done Elizabethan poetry and sonnets because my whole plan was to gently lead into Hamlet with all the intro to poetry and Shakespeare business. You know, like good English teachers do. So I held my tongue and just figured, Oh well. I’ll figure out something to do for the next week and half.
Fast forward to our department meeting. RNSET breezes in late, complaining about what a rough day she has had because while she was being observed by our principle, Bookroom Lady called demanding Hamlet. Normally, this would make me shrivel down in my seat and feel horrible, but hey, those are my books. You’ve had them for over a month. It’s my turn. I’m on the freaking calendar.
What followed was a confusing conversation about the bookroom calendar and how Bookroom Lady must have just been confused and Miss G, where did you get this November 5th date from anyway? Is it possible you had your calendar wrong?
No it is not possible. My calendar is never wrong.
It seemed more pertinent to me to have had a conversation about why Hamlet is taking so damn long to teach, but that’s just me.
Moral of this story? I don’t know. It just makes me want to hermit away in my room and not talk to my coworkers. Blah.
