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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

SLICE OF LIFE


The radio.
I am a literacy coach.
I don't have my own classroom, instead I move all over the building, all day long.
From time to time, my boss needs me.
And so I carry a radio.
Or at least I am supposed to carry a radio. 
The trouble is, I keep laying it down.
And then I forget where I have left it. 

Take the last week, for instance.
Friday was our school science fair.
The science teacher needed me to cover her class while she helped set up the science fair .
I had no sooner gotten up to her classroom than I realized that I didn't have the radio.
It was in my office in the bookroom, in the basement at the north end of the building.
Her science room is on the second floor at the the south end of the building,
approximately one city block away.
I dispatched one of the eighth graders
who was delighted to make the trek.
OK, maybe not delighted, but he said he would do it, if he could take a friend.

Ten minutes later, he came back, radio in hand.
I laid it down on the table
so I could help one of the eighth graders finish his project
and immediately forgot about it.
About 15 minutes later, the special ed teacher came in.
I heard her say, "What are you doing with that radio?"
Guess whose radio it was?

An hour later, I went downstairs to teach my intervention group.
And then went to get something out of the auditorium.
And realized I didn't have my radio.
A second grader friend found it in the classroom
where I had done my intervention group
and brought it to me.

We had a three day weekend.
On Tuesday, the principal and assistant principal
had to go to a meeting
and I was "administrator in charge."
the first thing I did when I got to school was to put on my radio.
Except it didn't quite work
because I had forgotten to charge it.
I had to borrow one from the office
until the secretary could get mine charged up.

On Wednesday, I went outside to do lunch recess duty.
I'm supposed to always carry my radio outside
because there could be an emergency.
My radio lasted about five minutes
then started to beep.
it wasn't charged.
Again.

Today,
right before lunch
I ran down to my office
to get my radio.
It wasn't on the charger.
After about ten minutes of hunting
I found it on the cart I use when I pass out snacks
for the after school program.
But it had been off the charger all night.
And so once again, it wasn't working.

I'm kind of wondering
if the radio might be
a metaphor for my life right now.


10 comments:

Ramona said...

Carol, I think we are soul sisters! Be sure to read my post to see if you agree. Your post made me laugh and heaven knows, we all need more laughter in our lives.

BK said...

I think you're right about that radio. How big is it? Seems like you can never be without it no matter how hard you try, Carol.

Nanc said...

I was looking for your post....I love reading everything and every slice you do. We have so much in common, I could write something similar about my glasses. Maybe velcro? Just reading Ramona now...maybe we are all sisters. xo Go Broncos!!! Are the boys coming home for the showdown?

Linda B said...

It sounds like a big pain to have to carry it around, Carol. Maybe you need a small bag with a strap? You sound so busy, which is often good, but sometimes switching gears all day long is a challenge. Hope you get some rest once in a while!

Unknown said...

I could not help but chuckle to myself while I read your post. I can relate. I hope you remember to charge the radio today.

Stacey Shubitz said...

I TOTALLY GET YOU, CAROL! You radio issues sound like the ones I had with the school-bought Nextel I carried in RI. I forgot to charge it constantly and often left the classroom without it.

Jone said...

I get it! That would me. Hang in there.

Mary Lee said...

I'm thinking this fits into #evaluatethat. So maybe an admin would ding you because you lost the radio, but would they consider what you were doing that caused you to lose it?!?!?!

Carol said...

My radio has become kind of a standing joke at school. My administrator, (when she is not trying to find me), is learning to laugh about it. And our AP bought a special pouch, kind of like a shoulder bag purse, for me to carry it in.

Tabatha said...

Poor you! Does your phone work in the building? She could text you, if keeping up with your phone was easier.