...the office...

One of the perks (or annoying pitfalls, depending on your perspective & the theme) of working at an American high school is Homecoming Spirit Week.  Each day has it's own theme:  mismatch, jersey, Hollywood, school spirit, etc.  Participation on some days is more challenging than others, especially if you don't want to spend any money.  But I think it's a good idea to encourage the students to have school spirit.  I mean, if the teachers do it, then surely the students will want to do it, right?

Today was Hollywood Day.

Let me back up...

So, my PLC is kind of quirky.  For several weeks now there has been talk about some eerie similarities to us and the characters of the popular TV show, The Office.  As a result, some PLC members have been hoping to write scripts and actually film some episodes.  I don't know, maybe we should call it The Office Meets The PLC.  Ok, so there really aren't too many similarities...Even so, we have assigned characters.  So today, Hollywood Day, was the perfect opportunity for our debut.

If today was an episode, it would have been called The Staff Picture. 

Can you identify our characters?  Imagine what happened when The World's Best Boss suggested we do a classic jumping picture...

...plc meetings...

PLC = Professional Learning Community

At my school, the staff work in PLCs.  This is similar to the idea of departments...but upgraded.

We meet with our PLCs regularly.

Somehow I have ended up in a PLC with all other members being male.  Well, except for our administrative representative.

So, as the token female, I take notes during meetings.  Don't worry, I volunteered for the job.  Let's face it, I would do the best job.

Now, seriously, who ever reads the minutes from meetings?  Why would they?  Well, I have transformed this stereotype.  Just as departments have been upgraded to PLCs, our meeting minutes have been upgraded as well.

Can you really expect a group of grown men who spend their day working with teenagers to be all business?  No.  No you can't.  Though we do get plenty of work done, we also really have a good time together.  Meetings are never dull...So why should the minutes be dull?  Well, they aren't.  I am transforming our notes by including the most hilarious aspects of the meetings.  Random comments and strange behaviors are found in the notes on a regular basis...Right there along side the rest of the official business, just as they occur.

I have always emailed each PLC member the notes immediately after the meetings.  In the past only one of the members read them.  Last year he discovered that these were no ordinary notes.  Word spread.

These are some things that have happened since:

>Certain PLC members strategically try to find a seat next to me so they get a preview of what they will get to read later.
>One member has claimed that his favorite part of the meetings is seeing me make odd faces at the random things that happen, then immediately begin typing.
>I often hear, Did you get that in the notes?
>One PLC member has said, Are we having a PLC meeting today?  Good, I can't wait to read your notes.
>Members have been known to be found laughing hysterically during their prep periods as they reread the minutes.  That's right, reread...days later.

So what if our Professional Learning Community is a little higher on the community side than the professional.  Hey, I'm all about creating a positive work environment.

...typos...

We were in the computer lab last week.
As a student was struggling to type in the correct website, I heard:  Uggghhh...I just typed my dash backwards!  Now I have to redo it.


I didn't think it was possible to type a dash backwards...

...the jokster...

I was talking through "business" with one of my classes.  After answering a student's question, a different student raised his hand.  He had kind of a defeated tone of voice when I called on him.

Student:  Miss O'Brien, do you know what sucks?


Me:  Uhh, I don't know...


Then, at the same time we both said:

A vacuum.


We both looked at each other in amazement while the class laughed.  He was trying to sound serious while cracking a joke & I predicted his answer.  We were both slightly disturbed that we were thinking the same way.

A couple more times during class he tried to pull off the "I'm-going-to-raise-my-hand-and-make-it-look-like-I-have-a-legitimate-question-but-really-I'm-just-going-to-tell-a-joke" move.

He was surprised when I knew the answer to this one:

Jokster:  What did the Zero say to the Eight?


Me:  Nice belt.


Jokster:  Wow.


He ended with telling a joke he'd made up that didn't make sense and wasn't funny...to anyone.  Well, at least I didn't know the answer.  I guess that means something...

...training day...

Today I spent the day in the computer lab for training on new curriculum.  My students had a substitute teacher.

Early in the morning, another teacher walked into the lab to join the training.  He gave me a folded piece of paper.

It was a note from a student.  Yep, a student (who I don't have in class anymore, by the way) wrote me a note & gave it to another teacher to "pass" on to me.

He had mentioned to her that I would be in the training with him for the day.  So, she wrote me a note to let me know she would miss me today because she wouldn't be able to say hi to me during passing periods.

Man, how did she make it through the summer?

...three funny moments...

STORY #1
Student 1: Miss O'Brien, where did you go?
Me:  Uganda
Student 1:  Is that in South America?
Me:  No
Student 2:  There's a South America?  Do we own it?
Me:  You know what you should do?  Take Geography next year.

STORY #2
A student is making an odd face as we grade the bellwork assignment.
Me:  Are you okay?
Student:  You know how they say if you keep your face in one position for a long time it will stick?  Well, I'm trying to make it stick.

STORY #3
Student 1:  What's your first name?
Me: Why?
Student 1:  You look like a Laura.
Me:  My grandma's name is Laura.
Student 1 smiles
Student 2:  Yeah, she does look like a Laura.