*This was NOT written during testing. That would be against the rules and I am a rule follower! I wrote this later in the day as I was reflecting upon my day.
I think everyone has experienced doing some mundane activity in which your only means of entertainment, or escape, lies within your own mind. Today has been my thirteenth day of administering state mandated tests. (Yes, I did say thirteenth.) I still have at least two more days of testing to look forward to! YAY ME! Anyhoo, while administering these wonderfully valuable tests that will provide me with SO much immediate feedback about each and every child's abilities (I'm being sarcastic here) I have walked the room, counted my steps, counted the cement blocks in the room and made mental notes of things I need to do. As the students busily write away I have mentally rearranged the furniture in the room...several times, I've thought about who I need to email or call, and I have decided on which intervention I want to use with one of my second graders.
As the clock in my room LOUDLY ticks on I realize that they have only been working for 10 minutes. I say a little prayer asking God to give me the strength to fight the urge to fall asleep and, just in case, threw in a humble request that my bladder won't fail me. Oh, a hand. Thank you, God. You are great! Student: "I don't understand this question." Me: "I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't help you with that." I give her a reassuring pat on the back, smile and walk away. This interaction is then followed with absolute frustration, for both of us. Then my thoughts turn to how the powers that be should be the ones in here administering these tests. They need to experience this special level of Dante's...well, they should be here in order to have a true understanding of what we are needlessly putting our kids through! Rant over.
Time continues on and I have figured out how many days until the second part of season 1 of Outlander comes back. (It's just 30 more days in case you have been patiently waiting its return as I have!) I thought about how I will never be able to survive waiting two years for the next book (in the series) to come out. Then I had a morbid thought. What if, heaven help me, I die before the next book comes out?!? I almost had a panic attack at that thought, but I was able to hold myself together. Hmmm. I wonder how many hours there are until it starts? I could figure out how many hours until it starts! That will occupy my mind for awhile. Wait. What time does it come on? How do I not even know what time its on? DVR of course! Uggghhh! Does it start at 9 or 10? I'll check on my phone. NO! I can't check on my phone because I am administering this bloody test! Curses.
What time is it now? How has it only been half an hour? We still have an hour to go! Sigh. It's so cold in here! I wish I could adjust the temperature from my own room. I'll walk around my little room a few more times. That will help warm me up, I hope. What was with that dream last night? At least it wasn't terrifying like the I Am Legend dream! (Shudder.) But seriously, why would I dream that I suddenly grew a second set of toes...and why were the toes webbed? What is that supposed to mean? Maybe it means that I need to go to the beach. Ahhhh! The beach. (Smile) Sinking my toes into the warm sand. Listening to the waves rushing onto the shore. The smell of sun tan lotion being carried on the breeze while I sit there sipping a lovely cool drink of happiness complete with a little umbrella as its accessory. Bliss. Yes. I think I need to go to the beach and soon.
I think everyone has experienced doing some mundane activity in which your only means of entertainment, or escape, lies within your own mind. Today has been my thirteenth day of administering state mandated tests. (Yes, I did say thirteenth.) I still have at least two more days of testing to look forward to! YAY ME! Anyhoo, while administering these wonderfully valuable tests that will provide me with SO much immediate feedback about each and every child's abilities (I'm being sarcastic here) I have walked the room, counted my steps, counted the cement blocks in the room and made mental notes of things I need to do. As the students busily write away I have mentally rearranged the furniture in the room...several times, I've thought about who I need to email or call, and I have decided on which intervention I want to use with one of my second graders.
As the clock in my room LOUDLY ticks on I realize that they have only been working for 10 minutes. I say a little prayer asking God to give me the strength to fight the urge to fall asleep and, just in case, threw in a humble request that my bladder won't fail me. Oh, a hand. Thank you, God. You are great! Student: "I don't understand this question." Me: "I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't help you with that." I give her a reassuring pat on the back, smile and walk away. This interaction is then followed with absolute frustration, for both of us. Then my thoughts turn to how the powers that be should be the ones in here administering these tests. They need to experience this special level of Dante's...well, they should be here in order to have a true understanding of what we are needlessly putting our kids through! Rant over.
Time continues on and I have figured out how many days until the second part of season 1 of Outlander comes back. (It's just 30 more days in case you have been patiently waiting its return as I have!) I thought about how I will never be able to survive waiting two years for the next book (in the series) to come out. Then I had a morbid thought. What if, heaven help me, I die before the next book comes out?!? I almost had a panic attack at that thought, but I was able to hold myself together. Hmmm. I wonder how many hours there are until it starts? I could figure out how many hours until it starts! That will occupy my mind for awhile. Wait. What time does it come on? How do I not even know what time its on? DVR of course! Uggghhh! Does it start at 9 or 10? I'll check on my phone. NO! I can't check on my phone because I am administering this bloody test! Curses.
What time is it now? How has it only been half an hour? We still have an hour to go! Sigh. It's so cold in here! I wish I could adjust the temperature from my own room. I'll walk around my little room a few more times. That will help warm me up, I hope. What was with that dream last night? At least it wasn't terrifying like the I Am Legend dream! (Shudder.) But seriously, why would I dream that I suddenly grew a second set of toes...and why were the toes webbed? What is that supposed to mean? Maybe it means that I need to go to the beach. Ahhhh! The beach. (Smile) Sinking my toes into the warm sand. Listening to the waves rushing onto the shore. The smell of sun tan lotion being carried on the breeze while I sit there sipping a lovely cool drink of happiness complete with a little umbrella as its accessory. Bliss. Yes. I think I need to go to the beach and soon.
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