Sometimes. . .

. . . I hate my job . . .

-When I have a cold and all I want to do is crawl back into bed and sleep for, oh, I don't know, the next year?

-When I assign homework over the weekend and three (THREE) people in the entire class have finished said homework. (Why am I here, again?)

-When a student spills anything (pencil shavings. . . popcorn. . . crumbs . . . ) and leaves them for me to clean up.

-When I have a raging headache and students talk over me.

-When I walk into school and am immediately told by a (well meaning, I'm sure) student: "You look miserable. . . "

-When I hear my alarm go off in the morning and know before I get the chance to turn it off that it's going to be one of those days.

-When students give excuses for why things didn't get done.

-When I give an assignment that no one does the right way and I can't figure out if it's because my instructions were crummy or students weren't paying attention or . . .

. . . I love my job. . .

-When I wake up in the morning and remember that I have basically the best co-worker(s) ever to plan/take over the world with. It's nice not to have to fight the system alone.

-When the girl in the room next to mine tells me every day she sees me that I'm beautiful and her favorite teacher (even when I don't have her in any classes, and never have.)

-When students get excited enough about the book we're reading that they ask to read ahead.

-When we make it past February and know that March (and April and May) will, eventually, make an appearance.

-When I had discussion time over to students and they take over with what can pass as intelligent responses.

- When it's lunch time and I get to watch Wonder Years episodes.

-When I plan "profound movie" afternoons and students come (voluntarily) to watch movies produced before the 50s, or movies that are more than 4 hours long (re: BBCs Jane Eyre).

-When, like "the Jimmer", my name (and the name of my team-teacher) becomes a verb/adjective/adverb in overheard conversations.

-When students get it. (And then DO something about it.)