Another link off the old paper chain...

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Here I am, at the last parent teacher conferences for this season of life. I’m not actually blogging. I bring my laptop on conference days so I can entertain myself with internet research. Usually it is choir related, so I feel that it is justified. Alas, the wireless connection is not working. I’m back to writing things out by hand in a Word Document.

I have had many parents wish me well for my future journey. I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps these last few weeks will be the brightest of my time here. I’m working on enjoying each day. Just recently I found great joy in sorting through books on the bookshelf. I enjoy separating my belongings from those of the school. I wonder if they would miss the set of African drums I ordered last spring.

I have collected a lot more sheet music since I started working here. I’m not really sure the best way to store it. I’m going to have to get some new containers. The ones from college are overflowing and falling apart.

One of my choir and music theory students is going to join band. I’m so excited for him. He’s one of those kids that needs some redirecting on occasion when he gets picked on. I think he’s funny and a smart kid. His dad just called a friend of theirs and is going to buy him a trumpet. That is the sort of thing that makes my heart happy. Getting him involved in more ways will hopefully keep him on the right track.

Did I mention yet how boing this is? I’m just going to keep typing about it. In the last 5 hours and 45 minutes I have talked to eighteen families. Some of them I speak with for five minutes or more, but most of them are very brief. I have not yet seen any of the parents that I “invited” to conferences. I’ll be making phone calls tomorrow.

I wish I had internet connection and a secluded corner where I could watch lost. In the seven and a half hours I have been here, I could be finished watching ten more episodes! Even considering the time I’ve spent actually “working,” I think I should have been able to polish off eight episodes!

So what have I been doing to occupy my time? I sorted through octavos, mine from not mine. I listened to some horrible Alfred publishing “new releases” on their latest CDs. Horribly cheesy, lots of “fluff” music. I finished entering grades into a spreadsheet that figures their percentages. I ate pizza and a piece of pumpkin roll-up. I’ve walked to the faculty lounge to get my mail, read my mail, walked to the bathroom a few times, walked to my room for more stuff to sort, walked to the fountain to refill my waterbottle, walked to the bathroom again. Then I cried that the internet isn’t working.

I just talked to a favorite parent of mine. When I told him his daughter would not be performing on the Christmas concert, he said she had it coming to her and he supported me. YAY!

It is now 6:23. Just over one hour left. I see a few students from solo/ensemble contest. They lost two points because they were short on time. Unfortunately, that is my fault and I’m going to have to own up on it. It made a difference between a II and a III. I would have wanted to cry if it was the difference between a I and a II! The crazy thing is the music has the time of 2:50 printed at the top. I timed it myself and it was just over 2:30. When they sang on Saturday, it only lasted 2:04. Yikes. I guess we were more worried about running out of breath than the time.

One hour. Sixty minutes. Up to 24 families.

I am T-I-R-E-D!

I have to admit though, sometimes I really enjoy a good laugh with a student’s parent. The parents of the good kids always come to conferences. 45 minutes.

Let’s talk LOST again. I’m going to have to take several days off because I am about 6 or 7 episodes ahead of Heather. It was difficult enough to talk to her about the Season 2 finale since I was already five ahead. If Bryan is reading this, I’m going to catch up to you soon! I feel like I am well on track to being done by LOST weekend. Which will be a duo celebration: last contract day at Dunkerooville AND watching LOST! YAY!

I’m keeping my eye on one of the parents I need to talk to. I may have to tackle her if she tries to leave before talking to me.

I’m so glad I did. Things are not always as they seem! Someone lied to me, and I don’t know who it was!

Thirty families in 7 hours and 15 minutes! It’s time to pack up friends.

In conclusion, these days can be stressful, humorous, long, productive, dull, gratifying… It’s a grab bag of emotions actually. The best part would be if we could squeeze it all into about four hours. That would be IDEAL!

Ms. Zwiefel, singing out.

P.S. I figured out when I got home that my computer couldn't connect to the internet because of a button on my laptop had been pushed. GRRRRRRR....