What a difference it makes

So, as you could tell, I was hatin' life. My kids were driving me nuts, the school system was doing it more, and I was generally in a bad place. Well, come open school night last week, everything changed. It started with dinner. Ate with three teacher friends. It really reminded me why I loved doing what I'm doing. Re-centered me. So, once I got back to school for the rest of the conferences I was on fire.

Remember that basketball video game? I think it was Double Dribble. If you made three baskets in a row, the announcer would say "He's on FIRE!" After that, until the other team fouled you or something, everything you shot would go in. You couldn't miss. Teaching can be like that, too.

I got to talk to all the parents I really needed to talk to. Some were very surprised at what I had to say. Suffice to say, things changed quite a bit the next day. For one, I was in a better mood. For another, my kids were more centered. And then the test scores started coming in. Well, practice test scores. My kids were getting higher and higher. Then I find out the practice test they did was way harder than the real one. We do one more like the real one and EVERY SINGLE ONE PASSED.

Now, that's not necessarily going to happen. And these tests are still pieces of shit. But my kids are getting better. We're all pumped right now and it feels great to be a teacher again.

Except when field trips go to hell, but they always do and that's no ones fault. Except the damn bus company.