Good Morning Monday.

Prep periods are a farce. I mean sure, I know I have about 20 per week--which is a hellofalot compared to most teachers. It seems that all of life's annoyances occur during prep though. For example, I sit down to do some marking, intending to listen to music and relax a bit while I mindlessly hand out grades, but then I notice that my desk has stains, dust bunnies, and food bits all over it. Naturally I have to clean it right away. Then my earphone cords get tangled and I have to untangle those. Then I remember that I have to photocopy something for my next class, so I attempt that simple task-but the copier gets jammed or runs out of toner. Finally I sit back down to staple the rubrics to the assignments I am trying to mark, and my stapler gets mega jammed and I have to hurl it across the room and then hide under my desk so no one knows it was me. Before I know it, I am frustrated and no longer feel like marking so I think, "I'll do it tonight over dinner" but then I feel guilty because all I ever do is go home at 5pm and do more work until 9pm because being here is like being on a commune and the lines of free-time and work-time are so easy to blur and justify. In my frustration I have a disgusting habit of immediately clicking on my email or facebook and trying to escape into other people's narcissism for awhile-but then the bell rings and I have accomplished absolutely nothing other than untangling my earphones, cleaning my desk and logging into websites I truly hate. As I put my coat on and move to my next class, I can't help but think-"this is the career I have chosen," and my inner spinster cackles a horrifying laugh.