My classroom was 89 degrees today.
EIGHTY. NINE. DEGREES.
By 4th period, I could barely stand up. I have one fan, but it can only do so much. I got very dizzy and had to sit down a lot. The thing is, there are 2 days of school left. Many of my kids tested out of their final since we dangle a carrot in front of them to score high on the OGT in March. So I have NOTHING LEFT TO HOLD OVER THEM.
They're great kids, but they can only do so much.
When it's 89 degrees.
And there's 2 more days of school.
So I find myself not really having the energy to stop the random wrestling/poking/marker throwing that is starting to happen. Playing the pregnant card doesn't usually work with 15 and 16 year olds. They just wonder why I'm so cranky.
Oh boy. I don't know HOW I'm going to make it in that room the first month of school when I'm NINE months pregnant and it's that hot. I really don't. I'm starting to get worried.
Of course, the main offices are air conditioned. You gotta love it, huh? Not in the trenches, though.
So by 6th period, when I could barely talk, one of my students decided to try and fix it. He asked if he could run to the foods room because he had an idea. Dizzy and overwhelmed, with my head on my desk, I mumbled "mmmhmmm" and threw him my pass.
He came back with a lunch tray full of ice cubes.
"I think this will help!" he said as he took a few extra books and put the tray on top of it. Then, he put the fan in front of it.
You know what? It took the ice about 25 minutes to totally melt, but for 25 glorious minutes I had some cool air blowing out of that fan. He was really proud of himself.
Making the best out of a rotten situation rocks. And it rocks even more when it's a 15 year old who saw how miserable I was and decided to try and help me out a bit. It kinda reminded me of when I made the best out of a rotten situation at Ironman, only it was the reverse...I was SO. COLD. Lips blue, teeth chattering cold. And then I remembered how my Ironbud and Coach said to save time on the bike...and decided, in my half-delirious brain, "hey, that just might warm me up."
You know what? It did. It was FUNKNASTY but it was the only time on that entire 112 miles I felt warm.
When life hands you lemons or an 89 degree classroom, you can "consider me Miles Davis" and drink TOO MUCH LEMONADE to warm up or have an insightful, future engineer 15 year old use a lunch tray to help you cool down.
Bottom line? Sometimes you can't do it all on your own.
And it's good to lean on unconventional wisdom. Even if it's on a brown plastic lunch tray.
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14 comments:
That's really cool that your student helped you out. I bet he's a good kid
:-)
Hang in there, Sara. 2 more days! Hopefully you have AC in your house. If not, I'm happy to donate one of my window units to keep you cool!
Jodi
What an awesome kid. Did you promote his to senior status and allow him to graduate?
Hang in there. You can come over to my house and hang with me and the dogs in the AC.
OK, first of all - no AC? I teach in like, so the ghetto and there's at least AC here. Holy cow Ohio... seriously.
Second of all, this is probably in the top three best things you've ever written, I think you should send it into a magazine.
You should've given that kid extra credit. Good for him.
"Sometimes you can't make it on your own" -U2
I went to catholic school in Mobile AL on the Gulf Coast. We didn't have air conditioning there either. Sure was a sweatfest. That little gift of caring is a nice cap on a year of teaching. Hang in there, Sara!
Great story. Concur with Wil - deserves wider circulation.
It is nice to see there is hope for the younger generation. : ) Hope the next few days pass quickly. I've never understood not having air conditioning in the schools. They wouldn't have to use it that long.
what a nice kid!
Man I would play the pregnant card on the school and be like you need to rent a window AC unit for when I come back or I am going to pass out in calss!
That is the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard credited to a teenage boy!
I'm starting to sweat this whole summer thing too (no pun intended). Do you get hot, like, WAY easier than before? In first trimester I even hot flashes, which totally freaked me out.
My high school didn't have AC either, plus there was this ridiculous guideline that shorts were not allowed unless the principle declared it ok after a minimum of 3 days in a row of 90+ degree temps. Kids - and teachers - were close to fainting on some days.
I have to wonder why the school isn't doing more for you? Putting you in that kind of heat is silly even when your not prego. You could have a claim against them and hopefully they will just bring in a sub so you can stay cool.
I know in the business world we would make sure we did nothing like that where I work to avoid any potential issues.
That is soooo sweet!!!
Great post.
That's a smart kid u got there..bonus marks :D
who said independent thinking from the next generation was dead. spot on solution. hang in there TST... your air conditioned abode awaits you for the summer!
Smart kid!!!! I didn't have AC in school until I was a senior in high school - down HERE, in Memphis. It was so hot that we usually only had half days the first few and the last few weeks of the year. Ugh. Maybe you can bring a window unit with you this fall!!! Or a misting system!
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