Work Day Blues

Today is one of those few days left in the school year that is given over to the teacher as a professional work day. That is, a day to work without students and without administraative demands. Inservices and professional development have essentially been commandeered by administrative direction with the not-so-subtle implication that teachers are not professionally wise or responsible enough to direct their own professional development.

Today I need to:
1. Catch up on all my grading (a considerable amount) and enter 1st quarter progress grades by 3 pm (no exceptions as the e-mail directive states!)
2. I just received 124 completed AP Document Based Essay questions to grade from students yesterday. I doubt I will have any time to complete, or probably even begin, those. So, there goes the weekend.
3. This is my 3rd classroom move in four years and I still need to unpack and organize 4 boxes of materials.
4. I need to clean and reorganize the room. (Janitors usually only empty trash and pick up the obvious--they, too, are overstretched and understaffed.)
5. Update class web pages.
6. Complete online test preparation for one class.
7. Fill out attendance confirmation forms for last week for the October count.
8. Call several parents.
9. Several students come to the room to chat and for some help.
10. Former student calls and invites to lunch.
11. Plan for next week.
12. Make copies of a chapter of textbook that still hasn't arrived.
13. Look for textbook for new class that has been out of print and backordered since Aug.
14. Review upcoming assessments required for Middle Years Program.
15. Fill out form for class descriptions required for next year.
16. Fill out request for conferenced attendance and pay (chosen by lottery throughout the district.)
17. Prepare for meeting next week on teacher evaluation.
19. Restock classroom supplies from department.
20. Update gradebook and check quarterly attendance.
21. Answer student e-mails.
22. Return book to media center and check for another for class.
23. Check and read district/building e-mail and respond as appropriate.

I think about half of that actually was accomplished. The others rise on the priority list and calendar for next week. I still don't have a resolution to the missing text for one class. I'm going to have to be creative on that one. I can leave around 4 pm, taking a box of grading and work home. The question I always have for myself after a work day is: How much of that is really helping me to provide the best educational experience that I can?

The answer is why I call it, Work Day Blues.