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Erica Jacobs
Education ExaminerErica Jacobs is the Education columnist for the DC Examiner, and has taught high school and college for 33 years. She has been around the education block! Email her at ejacob1@gmu.edu.
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An Untypical Day in the Life of a Teacher
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by Erica Jacobs, Education Examiner
I am knackered, pooped, exhausted--this may be my most difficult day in 33 years of teaching. What did I do?OK, let's start with my mild insanity, which I am the first to admit. I have decided this year--because it may be my last h.s. teaching year--to feed students after school when they come for test preparation. Last week it was totally reasonable: about 30 who ate moderate amounts of all beef hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches. They all smiled as I fed them, and I felt rewarded.
Monday it turned ugly. 81--yes EIGHTY ONE growing adolescents turned up for AP review. (The word about food had gotten out.) Michelle---pretends she's just gorgeous, which she is, and not smart, which she also is--kept on saying: "Get more buns! Where are the hot dogs?" I managed to turn out enough so they were fairly full within the 90 minutes they were there but, truthfully, they didn't do much English AP work.
Today I decided to go all out: the normal all beef hot dogs, grilled cheese with butter on the outside of the bread, and Quesadillas with homemade guacamole, lots of salsa, and sour cream mixed with red onions and chili powder. Sixty-one showed up and--guess what?--they ate until they were stuffed! I had guacamole leftover! There will be plenty tomorrow, the day of our last after school session.
Between trips to Costco, my car, the refrigerator in the teachers' lounge and, wait, is that someone who actually wants a review packet?---I arrived home totally exhausted. It was a feat, and I'd accomplished it.
Truthfully, I love seniors. They're so difficult, only a mother could love them--or a crazy English teacher. That's me. I think I've also found the subject of next Monday's Examiner column!
Topics: AP , quesadillas , students , after school , seniors , love , AP prep
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