just my job...

a week or two ago, i was TOCing as a PE teacher but i didn't have the gym to use because there was a basketball tournament going on. it sounded sketch at first but i really had the easiest day ever. my morning consisted of a prep, then went the Vice Principal to the middle school with all 3 classes of grade 1s and all 3 classes of 2s to watch a game, then another "prep" (in which i do nothing), and then recess in the staff room. after recess, i taught three classes of PE in the students' classrooms with exercise stations which was great. lunch. after lunch i had an hour of "prep" so i asked the VP if i should offer my extra two hands to any other teachers for that time. he responded with, "if you want to or you can just prepare for the kindergarten PE at the end of the day." he and i were going to be teaching 2 kindergarten classes together in the music room and we were just going to be doing the stations that i'd done between recess and lunch. i've taught PE classes with him before and sometimes i feel like a student teacher but hey! i'm getting paid to be there and it's nice to have someone else lead. :) anyways, i go and help in a grade 1 class cutting and gluing until 2pm when it's time for K PE. i get to the music room and the VP isn't there yet so i set up the stations. the two classes arrive and he's still not there. i have them sit quietly and watch me demo each station then i put them in groups, start the music (to which they "exercise" to). they go around and get through all the stations once. we stretch and their teachers come back to pick them up. the class is finished and the VP never came. i figured he got caught in a meeting or something but really, it would have been silly to have two of us there anyways. i went to the office to touch base before leaving and he had his door closed and was meeting so i left a note in his box saying everything went well. great and low key day.

at 4pm, i'm at home and i get a phone call. it's the VP. he cannot believe that he forgot to come to the K class. i'm laughing, saying it was no trouble while he apologizes up and down for not being there. i told him i figured he was in meeting. he was like, "i wasn't in a meeting - i just forgot! so, next time you're here at school, come by my office because i have a starbucks card with your name on it for looking after that class on your own," he says. "whaat? you know they pay me to be the TOC, right? i don't need a starbucks card!" i reply. "nope! come and get this card when you're in and thanks for doing that today." well, who's to argue, right? next time i was in, i came and got the $10 starbucks card for my (non) troubles.

today, i splurged on a grande macchiato AND a scone at starbucks for a nice tuesday morning treat with my son. ben was happy to be drinking "awa" (water) out of a starbucks cup with a straw and was pleased with the stale cookie i'd brought him from home. and what i remembered as i relished my lemon cranberry scone was that the best kind of starbucks is free starbucks.