The Daily News

1  This oughta be fun.

2   My laptop seems jumpy and bumpy this morning.

3   Modern technology has de-advanced if you ask me.

4  I have a MacPro at school that daily works on my heart. 

5  I don't mean that in a sentimental way.

6   I mean that in a physical way.

7   For one thing, I can't sync it to an iPhone dock anymore. I can sync it up, but the audio out no longer works. 

8   This means I can no longer project films on an LCD projector.

9   It also won't allow access to You Tube, which I have used since You Tube was invented.

10  Music has always been a huge part of my lessons. Yesterday, for example, I definitely wanted Renaissance music playing when the students brought in their masks. 

11  Fortunately a student in my class knew how to control my wireless speaker from his phone.

12   He pranked me earlier this year, having a duck quack or something, but I'm fortunate that he kept it all low key.

13   Great prank, by the way. I'm getting out of the business just in time.

14  Anyway, I couldn't even access taking roll without going into my history.

15   School computers are a bit of a pain. You have to learn certain things in order to bypass controls, but many of us simply either don't have the time to experiment (I spend the majority of my free time grading papers, for example) or simply don't remember to try.

16  Good teaching takes lots of planning and split-second timing. 

17  AND my prep period this year is the first period of the day, so if I need to run to the store for something it is almost impossible, since most stores don't open until at least 8 a.m.

18  That doesn't sound like much, but I have always worked it so that my prep period is either right before or right after lunch, so I would have an hour-and-a half to go to stores or run errands.

19  Or go somewhere for an hour-and-a half lunch.

20

21  I have been spoiled over the years. Self-anointed fringes are the best.

22   The early prep this year offers no advantages. I HAD a lunch/prep but it got switched around the third week of school. I do not like having an early prep. It has very few advantages.

23   Oh, you can arrive late and not have to worry, but then you can get in trouble.

24

25   I roll my eyes ever time I hear a teacher talk about "getting in trouble."

26   Aren't the students the people who are supposed to get in trouble?

27   

28   There is something fundamentally wrong about "getting in trouble" when you spend twelve to fifteen hours of your own weekend time working. 

29  Screw that.

30  Seesly.

31  "You can say that 'cuz you're retiring!"

32   Uh, yup.

33   I've also said it my entire career. 

34   If you have to go down and talk to the principal about anything, there had better be a good reason. 

35   That is an intrusion on personal time, something that we absolutely do not have on school days, and quite often, over holidays and weekends. 

36   Summer...yeah. That time makes it all  worth it. 

37   But during the year you will find teachers lugging huge batches of paper around, working well into the nights and weekends, and giving tons of hours to the job, if they are doing their jobs, which most do.

38   

39   Anybody lookin'?

40   

41   Sorry.

42   Just grousing. 

43   I couldn't take roll yesterday because the access button told me I was not connected to the internet. 

44  

45   I had to trick the computer by pushing various buttons that had previously worked, but which decided not to yesterday. 

46   Since I don't own the computer I can't buy products that would prevent that sort of nonsense from occurring. 

47  They have tech dudes working every day trying to take care of this sort of stuff, but it happens.

48   Every now and again they offer some sort of patch, but quite often it is lost in a sea of emails about all sorts of nonsense that is important to the person who sends it.

49   In other words, teaching is just as ridiculous as most jobs.

50

51   

52   End of rant.

53   I hope I don't get in trouble for writing this.

54   I gottago.

55   Have a GREAT day. I'll be off for a week here, so have a wonderful Easter, and I'll see you in a week. 

56   Stay out of trouble.

57   Peace.

~H~