Buzz, Buzz

These were delivered to my classroom yesterday:

As soon as the kids saw them, they got really excited because they knew they were full of:

Macbooks!

We've spend the last several days working on our first "official" essay of seventh grade. We are analyzing the theme of Langston Hughes' "Thank You, Ma'm." It is hard work, but they are doing a great job! I am actually maybe kind of looking forward to reading 130 rough drafts when they get turned in on Monday! Maybe... Kind of...

My desk last November...

If you don't live in California, maybe you don't know how hot it has been lately. I'll sum it up for you: HOT! So freaking unbelievably hot for the last week of September (113 degrees in LA yesterday)! I did not complain this weekend, because I really do love hot weather, but it's been tough at work. You know, 30 sweaty preteen bodies, questionable deodorant application, no AC, a classroom full of Macbooks buzzing away. Yeah. HOT.

This has pretty much thrown all cooking and working out plans into a complete tailspin. However, I plan to get back on track today! It's only (only!) 90 degrees in Campbell, so I think I can manage doing some Yoga Meltdown and abs and sticking a pork tenderloin in the oven. I might even bake some bread. I'll let you know how that all works out.

And finally, today is National Coffee Day! I couldn't let it pass without celebration, so I treated myself after work:

Please note, I went through seven lids before I could finally get one to stay on. It was well worth the effort. 

Happy hump day!

Quickie

Just a quick post because I am exhausted! I always sympathize with my students when I have to sit through meeting after meeting after meeting about things that I am totally not interested in/have already learned before. Poor kiddos!

So yes, today was human resources and special education orientation, blah blah blah. I ate a huge vegetarian sandwich for lunch that still has me stuffed. The thought of cooking dinner actually is making me a little sick to my stomach. Leftovers and Top Chef it is (Restaraunt Wars! hooray!)!

The real news of the day is that I finally got keys to my classroom this afternoon. I will have to take pictures for you guys when I go back next week because it is totally nuts. It used to be the staff lounge, apparently, so it has a huge, gated concrete courtyard out front (so awesome for poetry readings and dramatizations!) and, get this, BATHROOMS. Seriously, there are two bathrooms attached to my classroom. As in, you walk into my classroom and then open a door that looks like a closet and it's really a bathroom. I cannot get over this weirdness!

For the record, I think I'm going to put bookcases in front of both doors and just pretend they aren't there. Can you imagine being a seventh grade girl and going to the bathroom during class literally in your classroom? I'm sure you can hear the toilets flushing loud and clear! Embarrassment to the MAX!

I haven't taught junior high in a while, so I'm still wrapping my brain around what my little darlings are going to be like. In junior high, I pretty much thought I was the coolest person in the world (clearly, the self-esteem issues were more of a high school thing), but I remember my friends being really shy and awkward.

Do you remember what you were like in junior high? Do you remember what you wanted from your teachers in junior high?