Grades, etc.

Grades for the second six-weeks period are due on Thursday. I can turn them in anytime after tomorrow morning, though, so I will probably send them then (just to have them overwith). It's SUCH a nice thing to have a computer program that just calculates averages automatically AND sends them automatically to the server. Unbelievably cool. Okay, old-hat for most current educators... but remember, when I was in college, there WAS NO INTERNET and computer programs were simplistic and general. Things have completely changed, just in the past ten years since I taught before. I'm thrilled with the way all the computers in the school (including two in my classroom -- zowie) are linked to a main server, and I can have access to all sorts of stuff. I can log onto the internet anytime I need to, and it has been an invaluable help in locating information for my students. We never had this much cool stuff at our fingertips when I was in school... I wonder how my life would've been different had I had access to all this? Not that I'm not happy -- I have it pretty good, really.

This morning, my first block was my planning time, but I got a call from the main office asking me if I was able to cover for a teacher who had to call in sick at the last minute and the sub wasn't here yet. This class is the "Transition Room", where they put kids who need to be completely self-contained all day long because of their behavior disorders. I know all these guys already because their teacher and I are good friends, so they are accustomed to me. Otherwise, they are known for terrorizing substitutes! I didn't have to stay long; only about half an hour or so, and then their sub actually came. I was rather glad, really, because I did have a few things I'd wanted to accomplish. But the guys were fine for me; they know I won't put up with their crap any more than their regular teacher will, and I'm not afraid of them (the way so many other teachers are). Takes a lot to scare me, and I ain't seen anyone here yet who does.