So yesterday was interesting.  I was at work, and all of a sudden, I just couldn’t take the lack of discipline/management from another teacher.  Her kids were harassing mine, cheating off of them, and being loud.  Nothing was being done about it.  I set my keys down, went to take a deep breath, and went back into the room.  My kids scores suffered (they take a weekly computer test for the district), so instead of having them practice afterwards, I just had them log off.  The other person had the nerve to come up to me and tell me, “I think the noise problem is leaving.”  She was talking about a special needs kid who was in there making up some work and had to read out loud.  Obviously he was not the problem, so I said, “He was definitely not the noise problem.”  I got my kids lined up and just left.

Well, today, my principal came in and talked to me and apparently he was informed that this other person thought I was being “unprofessional”.  She didn’t mention anything her kids were doing, nor did she mention that she was basically giving them the answers by showing it on her fingers.  (RIDICULOUS!)  He understood, I think.  I told him that it is almost impossible to do any planning with her because she doesn’t talk about work, she tells us about her fictional diseases and afflictions.  I said it nicer than that though.  I was also informed that she felt like she had been ostracized all year long.  Ok, first of all, she is NOT my mentor teacher, secondly, she is not a good teacher.  She is over 40 and has been complaining about this to the principal and instructional coach, but won’t talk to us about it!  Anytime I have had a problem at work, I have confronted it head on, like an adult.  That is how things get solved in the real world…tattling isn’t even allowed in my classroom.  UGH.  Anyway, I don’t feel as if anyone is upset with me because I have never done anything mean or unprofessional.  In fact, I left the situation before it BECAME unprofessional. 

What blows my mind is how fooled she has a couple people in the school.  I’m 100% convinced this person has Munchausen Syndrome.  She wants the sympathy and attention that comes along with being sick, so she creates these problems.  My friend brought up that she hasn’t filled us in on the reports of all her tests…this must mean they all came back OK, otherwise everyone in the school would know.  She gets this weird gleam in her eyes (happiness) when she’s telling people what’s wrong with her.  That’s not normal.  Anytime anyone talks about food, she has to tell them that she has to eat baby food for these reasons…and then lists them.  Doesn’t matter that she’s done it a thousand times before, she’ll do it again.  She was actually really excited about being on oxygen, and gets thrilled when she tells me about how her skin turns blue and she can’t breathe.  It makes no sense.  Also, I’ve never seen that before in my life.  If she was really that sick, she should stay at home with her family and rest and be with them.  Here’s what she says though, “Oh, I tell my doctors…they can’t make me stop teaching!  That’s my passion, it’s what I live to do.”  Yeah right.  If that was true, you wouldn’t suck so much.

We’re on our way to Dallas right now.  I think we’re about an hour and 15 minutes out.  Our friends are about an hour out and Ben still doesn’t know that they’re coming!  We’ve hatched this elaborate plan to keep him out of the loop!  I’m loving it!  He thinks Mary is moving into her condo on Saturday and that they couldn’t come because Chip bought a new motorcycle.  Hahaha, I can’t wait to see his face!

I should know next week whether or not I got the job as a summer school teacher.  I’m still hoping to get it, but if I don’t, that means a trip home in June…if I get it, we’ll be home in October.  It still seems surreal that we’re leaving for Japan in less than 6 months.  Dogs have been through their first round at the vet…good-bye $260!  Exam times 3, rabies times 3, microchip times 3, and 1 leukemia booster.  Blah.