Let's try something different

I have decided not to renew my contract for my current position. After much consideration, I have come to the conclusion that when you have a job that makes you feel sick to your stomach every day—even in the less stressful part of the day—you need to look for a new job.

I'm not sure what is next.  For sure a different school, a different position, maybe a different district or certification.  Maybe I'll stop teaching all together- maybe I'll substitute for a while just to see what's next.

Just now like every other teacher- I'm just surviving- not thriving.

Yesterday I wrote what I wanted to say in a resignation letter.  Then I asked ChatGPT what it thought.  ChatGPT said, "Slow your roll, keep it classy, take out that whole middle part."  (I'm paraphrasing)  So I did, and I sent my letter, and I felt a little sad, but there is more to be seen.

Nude

 I have a student who occasionally wears a nude color body suit/camisole, which seemed to be intended to be underwear, but what do I know, I'm OLD. Every time she wears it, it kind of freaks me out. Each time I look at her like, "Ah! Where are your clothes?!"  

One day, while driving into school, I saw a girl walking around wearing flesh-colored pants.  I thought, "People should NEVER wear pants that even remotely match their skin tones."  (I had a supervisor once, who had a pair of questionably colored pants that sent me into a tizzy each time he wore them.) As I got closer to the walker, I came to a horrifying realization that she was not wearing flesh colored pants.  Even worse- she wasn't wearing pants at all.  

It took just a second to process this information, but I came to the conclusion that she PROBABLY was wearing shorts, short-shorts which were hidden by an oversized sweatshirt. 

This week my 7th grader was invited to an awards ceremony.  Her peers decided it was a dress up occasion.  Their parents were in attendance- so presumably approved of all of the outfits. Several girls were wearing short, spaghetti strap, white summer dresses.  One of the dresses necklines dipped down fully as low as a triangle bikini top.

In fact I believe it was this very dress. On a 13 year old. At a school event. 

Being old does cause judginess I guess.

Chat Gpt fun and games

 I have been having way too much fun with Chatgpt.  It started with the fact that I had to write a letter to parents about the state requirements of testing and tutoring.  It was a form letter because all the kids needed one- so I asked Chatgpt to help me out and it was awesome.  Then I started planning a vacation and Chatgpt knew all the answers.  Then I started making an activity book for the kids while we travel, and although I found a bunch of free resources online, some things that I wanted were not showing up in the freebie- so I asked Chatgpt- "Hey can you give me an information and coloring sheet about brineshrimp in the Great Salt Lake?"  Chatgpt was happy to give it a go.  There have been a few quirks, like that time I asked it to provide a drawing tutorial for a llama, and it did. Then I asked it to give me a drawing tutorial for a ladybug- and it started with a ladybug head and went on to a llama body . . .What kind of unholy monstrosity ...

Yesterday I thought I'd make some school specific coloring sheets for teacher appreciation week.  My campus is known in the district for is multigenerational racoon "problem."  I mean at this point we've kind of embraced them.  I have not seen any in the building- but many stories have I heard about the misadventures of our trash-panda population.  

Sometimes (so I hear) the raccoons are walking around on the beams in the ceiling and they fall off (poor little fellas.) If they are very clumsy, they just come crashing through the ceiling tiles- and you know freak everyone the heck out.  If they are more dexterous, just one little paw slips off the beam and pops through the ceiling tile.  However, when that happens, you still end up with a hole in your ceiling (and a cute little fuzzy paw waving at you), and- usually it scares the raccoon and they pee- so then you also have a wet spot- which is much less cute.

All this to say, I thought a raccoon would be a fine representative. Then I thought, "What other animal represents us?  A roach? I know! A rat.  So I had Chat Gpt make an image of a raccoon hugging a rat with the school slogan.  Then I thought- I better not circulate that- Even though it is stinking cute- I get in enough trouble as it is- without rat propaganda about the campus. 

death by pickle

 I was at work today eating pickles with zest-too zestily it seems.  I suddenly realized there was a pickle bit in my windpipe- where pickle bits decidedly do not belong.  I started coughing and sputtering, which led to choking- when I started thinking- This is not how one wants to go- behind a desk, on a high school floor- with a pickle bit in her throat. 

I stood up and spit out the other pickle bits still in my mouth, hoping to make room for the bit in my windpipe to dislodge and come forth into the light. I coughed and gagged a few more times before the offensive pickle chunk made its way out. 

Then I sat back down to recover and contemplate life- so sweet and unpickled, when I realized my chest was burning- which either meant I was having a heart attack or there was pickle juice in my lungs- both sounded terrible- but I hoped it was the latter.  While I was still hoping I had pickle juice in my lungs (which, I think we can all agree is a very odd thing to hope for,) I came to the realization that my arms also ached- aside from the heart attack theory, I had no idea what that was about.  Was I having a heart attack AND I had pickle juice in my lungs?!  It seemed unjust.

So, I sat in my chair, taking deep, pickled breaths, waiting for the burn to subside. I thought, "Well, I guess I won't want to eat pickles again anytime soon. " This is a pattern for me. I have had a traumatic experience with a food, and it's been a no-go for a long while. In fact, I haven't eaten chicken legs since I was 5 because of that vein I saw one day. 

However, Pickles have power, so later in the afternoon, I ate the rest of my pickle stash.  This time I chewed carefully and swallowed with intention.   Those were good pickles, sweet baby gerkins, pickled okra, and hot pickled cauliflower- with added baby carrots to soak in the pickle juice.  

Pickles- I can't quit you.