After a brief reprieve from the inclement weather earlier this week (I felt the sun on my face), we got pummeled by a gnarly storm on Tuesday. It rained hard all morning and then the gale force winds picked up. A giant branch broke off the tree in front of my classroom. And then the power went out.
Without power I had to completely retool my plans. The kids were of course totally out of their minds. Of all the classes I’d prefer to weather storms with (ha!) my last two are the last on my list, and yet 5th and 6th period is always when this kind of stuff happens.
I honestly assumed the power would be back on Wednesday. Or that they’d cancel school if it wasn’t. But when I drove up Wednesday at 7:30am it was clear that neither was true. There was no power, but parents had been assured that school was on!
It sucked. I don’t really understand how it’s okay to have school without lines of communication open (many of us had cell services that were completely down because of the power outage – I couldn’t even send text messages), or working fire alarms. None of the bathrooms have windows, so they are all pitch black. And because of our reversed block schedule we started Wednesday with 6th period, the same period we ended the day before with (also in the dark). It was also really cold that day, and the classrooms were frigid without heat. I did not dress warmly enough and I felt like it took me all evening to finally feel warm again.
Some teachers were really, really pissed. It’s going to be something we’re working through for a while.
The power did eventually go on Wednesday afternoon, so today was fine. I’m just really ready for tomorrow, which is Friday! I’m always so, so ready for Friday these days.
My back is feeling better, though the hour plus in the car every afternoon is brutal. Driving is definitely the most painful; sometimes I kind of want to cry. I’m starting to worry that, while my back is not as acutely painful, the current situation might linger for a long time. If that is the case, I’m going to be very grumpy.
Some positive notes:
Both my classes got their video skits filmed this week, despite the power outage (one of them was 6th period! I’m so impressed we powered through!)
I LOVED the two-classes-doing-video-skits-and-two-not set up. I’m definitely going to continue that at least for the next one. The only downside is that we do them every three weeks, so if I’m switching off who does them, I’ll only have one week in every three that I’m not doing them at all. But it might be okay since I don’t feel so frazzled when it’s only two classes doing them at a time.
The weather today was GORGEOUS. Sunny and in some instances it actually felt warm. I am so ready for warmer, sunnier weather.
Lockwood & Co 2 because available and we’re going to make an event of starting it tonight. Popcorn with candy in it!
My girlfriends and I are getting together for a movie this Saturday.
And I should post this now or I never will. Not the best reason to, but reason enough.
Power went off before noon Tuesday and didn’t come back til 6pm Wednesday; 30 hrs. It got quite cold inside, which probably caused less food spoilage than when power goes out in hot months. I worked at counting the positives you can probably tell.
I cannot understand the mindset of having middle school classes without power, with blacked out bathrooms, hallways with no illumination. But perhaps your school does not have interior halls. Does the school system not plan for more than the bare minimum of required school days? Interesting idea.
Do you need medical muscle relaxants or massage? Bet you know more about those options than I do.
Hope your weekend brings joy, pain relief, a good movie time out as well as a few more days with sun before the wet returns again (hopefully without power outages.) We do need the wet; but I hope the power stays on this time.