It is about half way through the school year. Next week we will be breaking for a much needed vacation. Three weeks sounds like a long time now but it's sure to fly by in an instant. The patience required to work here has begun to stretch a bit thin. The charm has been washed away by the rain. On some days, a mere stapler can reduce me to a crumpled mass of tears. There are definitely some simple things that could go a long way top making life easier. A stapler is high on my list. One memorable afternoon I was trying to put up a bulletin board in the cafeteria. It is an oversize one and the upper grades had decided on a theme. I was trying, alone, to put up the background. It would have gone fairly well except the stapler kept jamming. So, there I was, holding a huge roll of paper, half stapled to the wall and in need of a pair of scissors on the nearby (but not quite close enough) table to clear the mangled staples. Its one of those scenes that could be funny if you were in the right mood. It just seems that every time I try to get creative I am stymied by a stapler. Because, yes, as I leaned against the board to keep the weight of the paper from pulling the whole thing down and stretch out cautiously with my other arm, I seriously considered yelling for help. Help? I realized the situation was too ridiculous to invite someone to witness and continued on my own. For the love of a stapler. (I won't even bother to describe the small red stapler I was using. It resembled more toy than office apparel and I longingly recalled the sturdy black machines of my not so distant past.)
Other small items holding vast power over me include whiteboard markers and poster paper. Poster paper simply because there is none. When I want to do a project involving posters I must either ask the students to buy their own (resulting in different sizes, shapes and colors) or I must try to create it by cutting sheets from rolled butcher paper. This scenario leads me to sprawling on the floor with sheets of paper curling around me as I try to cut, measure and flatten. There is nothing funny about this even on the best of days. Whiteboard markers? OK, I can see the humor here. This is the only situation I actually laugh through, and that might be more a sign of serious damage than good humor. The last time I went to refill my supply, I was able to choose from red or green. (There used to be blue long ago, even black, but now it's holiday colors only.) The markers are of such poor quality that they fade quite quickly once exposed to the air. I have been known to begin chucking them into the garbage can during a lesson, one after another as I heave and sigh searching for patience. It is usually in the middle of a lesson that I grab a marker to illustrate a point, only to have nothing come out. Chuck. Into the can. I do this mostly so I will be forced to walk up to the admin building and request more. However, I had to stop myself, during one particularly intense frenzy, before I threw them all away and had nothing left to continue the lesson. This is the part where I laugh and laugh because wouldn't the students just love it if I had to cancel a lesson for lack of equipment. Its hard to believe today I was longingly recalling the chalkboard. I have always hated chalkboards.
Equally frustrating is the lack of Internet connection. Like everything, its only frustrating if it isn't there when you need it. Personally, I manage well enough. But, educationally, there is plenty we could do if we had strong computers and certain Internet. (We could get around the obstacle of dying whiteboard markers, for instance.) I do have an LCD projector, which is helpful and I may plan to use it more often to avoid the invisible ink syndrome. We have textbooks but I feel a lack of paper. This may or may not be true. There is just the air of scarcity when I go to request supplies. I might receive one packet of colored construction paper (last request resulted in only blue) or asked how many manila file folders I need (how 'bout the whole box?)
After all is said and done however, what I miss most truly with my entire heart, soul, and every fiber of being are index cards. I miss small index cards and jumbo ones. I miss having them available in assorted colors like yellow, blue and red. I miss being able to grab an index card and jot down a note. I miss being inspired in the middle of a lesson and grabbing a handful to hand out to students for a quick activity. I miss using them to make flashcards, vocabulary cards, recipe cards, outline notes, color-coded group work, guess who I am? game, spelling cards on a ring, spelling sort in a pocket chart, quick note home to parents, here take my email, note to self about things to do tomorrow index cards.......
