Back to school blues

Well it is almost that time. Parents are rushing their kids to the local supply store to get them the pencils and pens they will have lost in a weeks time. The binders that they will have drawn on and poked holes in by the second day of school. Prepare kids, the time for learning is almost upon us. The teachers are going back to school, setting up their classroom, making them ready for the return of the students, getting copies done, and sifting through the bull that the administration puts them through.....and on that note:

The new wonders of my Middle School 2007-2008:

1. Now we have a 90 minute remediation period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is supposed to help those students that are behind. Doesn't that defy logic since there will be 90 minutes cut from regular instruction time?

2. On Fridays we will see all eight of our classes. Now for those who don't understand, we only teach 3 classes so they alternate periods each day. Why must I see each class twice in one day?? So they can have a 50 minute "activity" period at the end of the day to reward the students. Again a cut into instructional time.

3. Along the lines of this "activity" period they are now requiring us to have some activity we do for the students. So it looks like intermural softball for me.

This year is going to be a long one with all of these changes. Since we missed the NCLB standards the state government is going to be up our rears. Another fun year at SMS!