Like a Headless Chicken!
Today I feel panicked. I really do.
I have about 40 emails to answer. I usually am all caught up on my emails. I suck.
I have NO FREE TIME at all. At school, even when I think I might have ten minutes, a student hunts me down. I keep thinking I'll just say, "I need to eat! Sorry!" but I can't. I'm usually the only teacher who can earn their trust, and this is a community college. By that I mean: many of my students are doing community college because life dealt them so many crappy blows that they have no choice if they want an education. Every semester I'm there, it gets worse because I then have former students hunting me up AND current ones. Do I love helping? YES!!!! Do I love feeling useful? YES!!!! Does all this social work mean I'm falling behind on my school stuff and life? YES!!!!
Sigh.
Today's counseling was an hour and a half on student Z ("Kira, my therapist doesn't even help me as much as you do...you've been through this and you really understand what I need to look at, and what I need to see to keep my head on straight!").
Oh, and then another half hour on Student X. This boy was NOT the type of boy to ever open up. EVER. To anyone. He's in a foster care family even though he's hit 18, and there are lots and lots of issues. I still can't believe he was telling me all this stuff. It goes so against his ethnic background and personal experience to leave himself vulnerable to anybody. So, how could I refuse? I found out that he talks about how great I am to other people, and how lucky he is to have me as a teacher. Again...how can I refuse? I'm hoping I can help him more.
I'm not even getting in my Chuck Time. Chuck is my favorite instructor at Tech. No wait. Chuck is my favorite HUMAN BEING at tech since Amanda left. I adore Chuck. He makes me laugh, and we have a great time. A student came in the other week and laughed at us, saying, "You guys are always joking around and having a blast here!" Well, yes. Chuck is brilliant, funny, and like me tempermentally. Oh, and most importantly, Chuck is a pervert. I can do any manner of innuendo and he's there, catching and returning! There, that's some innuendo too! haha!
I come home and since the WC is so busy, I'm always looking at papers. As Chuck said today, "The last thing I want is to look at more papers at home." Yes. But then again, my kids are taking up that time anyway, so what does it matter?
I'm behind horribly on grading and we haven't even hit fall break.
I have to pay this stack of bills by Friday or they'll be late. I'm never late paying bills. Unacceptable. Gotta do that before bed, maybe.
I have to clean up the kitchen. I cleaned it up earlier before making dinner. Now we're back to go.
Ari needs help with her homework. My floor needs vacuuming. My cat's box needs more litter. I need to mop the kitchen floor because I spilled something sticky on it. I need to fill out this paperwork to continue to get the sponsored insurance for my kids...and that requires getting some other stuff done. Jared qualifies for the free lunch program at school thanks to his dad's total lack of income, and I was told that they prefer for the 4-K program to have all the kids eat the cafeteria lunch, so they prefer for us to fill out said forms. HEY, that means I need to get the ex to sign a paper. Sounds like work! That'll be fun to pry out of him! "I'm a lawyer! My son shouldn't qualify for a free lunch program!" Riiiiighhht. When you are too busy drinking and partying for two years while you wait for your license to come back, then you aren't a lawyer. Not a lawyer even right now due to no license, too. So hah!
Bah.
I need to organize my bag and sort through my papers. I still haven't unpacked from last weekend.
It's just reached that point of so much to do that I can't do any of it and instead panic and run around aimlessly.
Must...focus....must...focus...
ARRRRGHHHHHH! *rips hair and continues to run around like a chicken with her head cut off*
I have about 40 emails to answer. I usually am all caught up on my emails. I suck.
I have NO FREE TIME at all. At school, even when I think I might have ten minutes, a student hunts me down. I keep thinking I'll just say, "I need to eat! Sorry!" but I can't. I'm usually the only teacher who can earn their trust, and this is a community college. By that I mean: many of my students are doing community college because life dealt them so many crappy blows that they have no choice if they want an education. Every semester I'm there, it gets worse because I then have former students hunting me up AND current ones. Do I love helping? YES!!!! Do I love feeling useful? YES!!!! Does all this social work mean I'm falling behind on my school stuff and life? YES!!!!
Sigh.
Today's counseling was an hour and a half on student Z ("Kira, my therapist doesn't even help me as much as you do...you've been through this and you really understand what I need to look at, and what I need to see to keep my head on straight!").
Oh, and then another half hour on Student X. This boy was NOT the type of boy to ever open up. EVER. To anyone. He's in a foster care family even though he's hit 18, and there are lots and lots of issues. I still can't believe he was telling me all this stuff. It goes so against his ethnic background and personal experience to leave himself vulnerable to anybody. So, how could I refuse? I found out that he talks about how great I am to other people, and how lucky he is to have me as a teacher. Again...how can I refuse? I'm hoping I can help him more.
I'm not even getting in my Chuck Time. Chuck is my favorite instructor at Tech. No wait. Chuck is my favorite HUMAN BEING at tech since Amanda left. I adore Chuck. He makes me laugh, and we have a great time. A student came in the other week and laughed at us, saying, "You guys are always joking around and having a blast here!" Well, yes. Chuck is brilliant, funny, and like me tempermentally. Oh, and most importantly, Chuck is a pervert. I can do any manner of innuendo and he's there, catching and returning! There, that's some innuendo too! haha!
I come home and since the WC is so busy, I'm always looking at papers. As Chuck said today, "The last thing I want is to look at more papers at home." Yes. But then again, my kids are taking up that time anyway, so what does it matter?
I'm behind horribly on grading and we haven't even hit fall break.
I have to pay this stack of bills by Friday or they'll be late. I'm never late paying bills. Unacceptable. Gotta do that before bed, maybe.
I have to clean up the kitchen. I cleaned it up earlier before making dinner. Now we're back to go.
Ari needs help with her homework. My floor needs vacuuming. My cat's box needs more litter. I need to mop the kitchen floor because I spilled something sticky on it. I need to fill out this paperwork to continue to get the sponsored insurance for my kids...and that requires getting some other stuff done. Jared qualifies for the free lunch program at school thanks to his dad's total lack of income, and I was told that they prefer for the 4-K program to have all the kids eat the cafeteria lunch, so they prefer for us to fill out said forms. HEY, that means I need to get the ex to sign a paper. Sounds like work! That'll be fun to pry out of him! "I'm a lawyer! My son shouldn't qualify for a free lunch program!" Riiiiighhht. When you are too busy drinking and partying for two years while you wait for your license to come back, then you aren't a lawyer. Not a lawyer even right now due to no license, too. So hah!
Bah.
I need to organize my bag and sort through my papers. I still haven't unpacked from last weekend.
It's just reached that point of so much to do that I can't do any of it and instead panic and run around aimlessly.
Must...focus....must...focus...
ARRRRGHHHHHH! *rips hair and continues to run around like a chicken with her head cut off*
posted by Kira | 5:38 PM
9 Comments:
My most sincere sympathies, that's exactly how I've been feeling. I'm so behind on grading it's not even funny, yet here I sit :) Priorities :) Glad to hear you had such a great weekend!
OMG...I can SO relate...you can't even imagine. The only downside to being in love (with a guy who lives in the same country) is that the already spread-to-thin life of a single, working mom has to find a way to spread out even further!! Something has got to go!! And I SO get the having so much to do you can't do anything. I'm that way at work since the staff shortage. I'm worthless. I react. I tackle whatever squeeks loudest. Other stuff sits. I can't organize my thoughts...there are too many of them. But the time with the honey...well...that makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?? Ahhh...
Kira, my darling, you're forgetting three major things:
1) Stair step grading. I've seen the stairs at your place; I bet you could grade every paper for every class in under a minute.
2) I have no life, and I'm free to babysit when you need a break.
3) ......
I had a third one, but my thought train derailed again. Damn Dos Equis!
I wish I was coming home every weekend dearest. That way I could do the cleaning and the cat litter box and even take the kids out to play while you grade. And then I can correct the grammar parts on the exams if you give me the template.
Perhaps we can do that when you come down next week.
And in a month, I will be able to drive all the way to Easley and clean up on fridays :D
Before people think I am too nice, I will just point out that I get great rewards for all of this good behaviour. :D
Pull gently on your ear lobes and say, WOOOOOSAAAAA WOOOOOSAAAAA.
I don't know if it works but it did for Martin in Bad Boys 2!
It's time for damage control. Drink a bottle of bourbon, burn the papers, give everyone an A, delete your e-mails, and take the night off. Enjoy a fresh start tomorrow.
I agree with Grant.
ButI have so been there.
I know it sounds somewhat gross but the house can suffer more so than the kids (yours or others). Grade while you drink. It will make you feel better. Pay bills after grading and continue drinking.
Respond to emails when you get the chance, if they really need you they will call you.
Make sure to call Alex and vent yourself dry. Hof lets me yell at him when I stress. Then tells me he loves me. Makes me feel better! :)
Hang in there, a break will come soon.
A* idea seems good :D
We can do that tonight dearest.
If it helps at all, I'm right there with ya. I have so much grading to do, I'm not sure I can have it all done by Monday, like I promised. Kids are talking to me on IM left and right, so when I try to grade, I stop to answer more questions about new stuff. Our presentations will go the THIRD day over what I planned on Friday, which means we are also monumentally behind on the syllabus. I've got a million things to do for the grant. I need to schedule the fall induction ceremony for one of the honor societies I belong to. I don't know how to use databases on 2-year colleges, but I have to teach myself for a project... Oh, it just goes on and on. I really want to get caught up on my sleep... You know, based on past experience, I think that may be the best first step. Start with rest. Then, make a plan. Then, complete the plan...
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