Have you ever been to a recycling plant? I don't recommend it, unless you enjoy the overwhelming stench of rotten food. We took our first-graders there last week as part of the science/social studies curriculum. There is an observation deck above the sorting/shredding/squishing area where the kids had a bird's-eye-view of the process, and they adored the noise and the conveyor belts and the magnets.
Seriously, I don't know how anyone works there. Worst job ever. Go to college, kids.
My parent chaperones pressed tissues to their noses and looked pleadingly at me, while I nodded sympathetically and made retching motions to indicate that I too was on the verge of vomiting. Strangely, most of the kids didn't seem to mind too much. They were too busy being excited. Either that or they are deficient in their sense of smell.
X. and T. were tired on the way home and zonked out completely.
Speaking of zonking out completely, the a/c in our building will not be turned on until May 14, and it has been uncomfortably warm, by which I mean FUCKIN' CRAZY HOT in my classroom. I am one of the unlucky teachers on the east side of the building where the sun pours in the big windows and turns the rooms into saunas. On Friday, the outside temp was 89 or something stupid like that, and the temp in my classroom was 87 for most of the day.
The children were sweaty and glassy-eyed and had hardly the strength to fuss about it, poor little things.
I planned to leave work immediately and go home to apply cold compresses to my forehead, but then I thought I would just clean off my reading table, copy some of the work for next week, and then reorganize the math games. And, oh, move a bookcase.
This is shit that HAS to get done, people, if I am to retain my sanity. It's a teacher thing. You may or may not understand.
Eventually I noticed that I felt a tad woozy and had a raging headache, so I went home, lay down on my bed at 7:30, and zonked out for 12 full hours.
Poor Josh was deprived of my delightful Friday evening companionship, but I made it up to him the next day by spending every single minute with him.
WHAT??? I'm FIRST. Okay then. nice post!
Posted by: Vicki | May 06, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Now, in more leisurely fashion. This looks like a sucky field trip. I miss the Wonder Bread Bakery field trip, the Lays Potato Chip field trip, the Vernors Gingerale field trip. Those were standard Detroit field trips and each came with a child size totally bad-for-you food sample. And we learned about building strong bodies 12 ways. Heading down to read Portugal.
Posted by: Vicki | May 06, 2012 at 11:09 AM
There wasn't a more interesting factory to visit like a BREAD factory, with free samples. ;) Or a doughnut plant. Yum. Our classroom a/c is always on and kicks in at about 74. Pretty nice. I can't imagine being in that hot a classroom with teenagers. There would be some nasty odors...eau de teenage boy.
Posted by: Margaret | May 06, 2012 at 02:37 PM
you're an awesome woman/teacher/wife/mom....
Posted by: Margaret | May 06, 2012 at 03:39 PM
My favorite fieldtrip as a student was a visit to the missions. A sack lunch tasted delicious on a field trip.
You are a great teacher. I am sure SOMEHOW you made this trip meaningful and fun!
The end of the year is coming and we can't wait!
Posted by: Laura | May 06, 2012 at 09:14 PM
We went to a sewage treatment plant on s field trip once. Mmmm, yummy.
Posted by: FC | May 06, 2012 at 09:33 PM
What kills me, is the cost of transportation. I managed to score FREE tickets to the symphony for my students, only to have to charge $13 for each of them to ride the bus into downtown for the concert, driven by buses from our own district. I could have rented a limousine bus to transport them all for the same amount. Really.
Posted by: Lola | May 07, 2012 at 01:12 AM
We tour the recycling plant in winter, yo. Some fool parents always send their kid in with inadequate outerwear (HELLO! A lot of the Federal Republic of Boulder's seemingly infinite campus/recycling center is OUTSIDE, people!) so we don't have the stench. Also apparently a lot of the help at our center are jailbirds. So, there's that to add to the excitement. I opted to not attend as a parent supervisor the next year - once is enough.
I totally get why you felt the need to continue working at the sweatshop long after hours. Makes Mondays ever so much funner.
Posted by: MsCellania | May 07, 2012 at 07:27 PM
Field trips are SO FUN when you're a kid - I loved going to Darigold as a brownie oh, so many years ago.
It may have been smelly, but I think it's very cool for kids to understand the process of recyling.
Posted by: Heidi | May 09, 2012 at 07:55 PM
My all time favorite field trip as a kid was to a candle making factory. Which, at the time, I had no idea would mark me with such a deep impression that I can still find it on my soul today. But it was amazing. I saved all my pennies and bought my, ungrateful, parents something. Which I dusted for years, it was just so pretty.
And, um, you won't want to click on my blog. It's like, uber crafty these days. :D
Posted by: Wende | June 01, 2012 at 10:42 PM