Jen, your sanity, not to mention your health, is worth the extra money.

Askye, yes, when your mom gets back, it would be nice to get some feedback from her. Thank you for offering.

I'm tired. Excrutiatingly tired and really lousy company. Weirdly, Perkins says she needs quiet and is enjoying herself. Huh.

Teacher record, or hooker record?

Oh, teacher, for sure. Fucking is a lot easier than talking to chatty parents.

I AM really proud of the way I dealt with a parent's concern about Twain's use of the N word in "Tom Sawyer." I explained that I used it as a way to bring up how society deals with racism now as opposed to the past, when it was accepatable for writers like Twain to use it casually; that the students were shocked and appalled to see it in print and that I considered that an excellent sign. She nodded thoughtfully and seemed to find it acceptable. I think, though, that I am happy that I like her kid a lot and our conversation before this topic came up had dealt with what a great, well-mannered boy he was and how much I liked having him in the class.

Oh man, Jen. Run. Run away. Run away. Run away.

YFilthMV.

I am cheap and kinda dirty.

Good job, Erin. Parent/Teacher conferences are difficult. The year I taught, we were all in the cafeteria at tables in the shape of a U, and the parents had to come find the teachers they wanted to talk to and move around the tables like they were picking from a smorgasboard. The din was unbelieveable, and it was really hard to have a decent conversation. That principal was... not one of my favorite people.

We were in the gym, but our tables were far apart. I felt sorry for the sad teachers who had only onw or two parents visit them; I had a line!

I felt smug and popular. And I have to say, I was curious to meet the kids' parents, and liked talking to most of them. Only one was obnoxious, and he just wouldn't STOP bitching abou his kid, and how we had to "come down hard on him in class."

The kids problem? Too talkative. Yeah, he needs to curb it, but the dad wouldn't stop yammering about hammering, after I'd said his kid had really made progress about being less chatty about 50 times.

Irony much?

Wrod!

Ha.

Jen, closeness to the T will keep you from feeling trapped in the apartment when you just need to get out.

Also, you're going to need all of the sanity you can get, in your chosen profession. The next few years are going to be very rough on the people you're treating -- you're going to need a haven where you can let your guard down.

Just my opinion; your beagle will vary, of course.

erika, much mammo~ma to your mom.