I'm COOL TEACHER OF THE MONTH!

After Brazen posted the interview questions I answered in order to become Cool Teacher of the Month... wait that sounds wrong. I was cool long before she asked the questions... Bollocks. Anyway, I decided to send the link to some of my friends so they could read it and then most likely make fun of me somehow. This morning I got an email from my pal Renata and I just thought I'd share the exchange with you all. It's brief. I promise.

Renata: Congratulations! Seriously, where would those kids be without you?

Me: Prison?

Running with Scissors

And no, I'm not referring to the book by Augusten Burroughs. Though I have to say I got a kick out of it. I'm referring to what I feel like doing today at work. After beautiful temperatures last week (thank God since I had decided to use my personal days) it has decided to once again dump snow on my region. I live in what's referred to as the "Snow Belt" of Central Massachusetts but I've taken to referring to it as the "Apocalyptic Weather Zone". I check the Weather Channel.com and instead of saying "Winter Storm Warning" it just says "KATE, GET THE HELL OUT OF DODGE!" I exaggerate but that's how I feel lately.

Thanks to the weather, my usual 45 minute commute turned into an hour and a half. Then, when I finally got to work, my shoes were wet and guess what I did? That's right folks. Took a spill right in the middle of the hallway. So with a big finish and jazz hands, I got back up and finally made it upstairs to find that my assistant is out sick. Again. *Sigh*

The kids are continuing to drop like flies with all kinds of mystery ailments that seem to cause everything from fevers, to coughs, to symptoms of not completing their homework. The no homework issue seems to have become an epidemic in the 6th grade and some of the teachers have started handing out detentions. However, the kids can't even be bothered to take their detention slips home and have them signed. It seems like nothing fazes them whatsoever and they have no motivation towards their school work. It makes me want to scream when they flood into my room in the morning, freaking out that they didn't finish their homework, giving me the lame, generalized excuse of, "I didn't get it." Seriously? You were supposed to color in some squares and you didn't "get it"? You mean you were up all night playing Mario Kart.....

Name Your Dream Assignment

Hey everyone. I typically hate people who use their blogs to promote their own purposes but, seriously, isn't that what the internet is for? Anyway, I entered a photography contest in which you create a "dream assignment". Now those of you who know me know that I already pretty much spend my time accomplishing this. I photograph the buildings I love and I work hard to see that at least some of their history is preserved. However, this contest offers $50,000 to the winning idea and it's based on votes. Your idea has to be voted into the Top 10, then it's viewed by the official judges. Obviously, having $50,000 would make my life's goal of historic preservation so much easier!

All you have to do is click on the cute little widget with the yellow camera on it and it will take you to the site. Unfortunately you have to register in order to vote but I'm asking- neigh, BEGGING you to vote! There are a million good ideas already submitted to this site and it will take a vast number of votes to get me into the Top 10 so I need all the help I can get!