Hijinx

Teaching can be stressful.  So, I find it important to loosen things up a little.

Like, maybe, accidentally leaving the guidance office with things that happen to belong on the secretaries' desks only to return them in the form of  gifts on Secretary Appreciation Day in the Spring.   We all get a good laugh out of it--except that one time a fight almost broke out because Mrs. P thought Ms. A had taken her tape dispenser. 

Or, rearranging the furniture in a teacher's room while they're out on school business.  (Note: don't do that one again.)

Or dressing up like a colleague on Nerd Day.  (Well, I thought it was funny.)

Most of these antics were the result of me being part of a cohort of younger teachers who were now teaching at the same high school we had attended. 

Things changed when I moved to the new middle school.  Most of the "new" staff had come from the same school, so I had to take some time adjusting to the culture that many had brought with them.  Seemed like the right thing to do.  As a result, I quickly became  good friends with Mr. G, who had come to us by way of a neighboring district.  We'd usually end up in one of our rooms by the end of the lunch period.  But one day, I walked into his room and he had a visitor.  I felt like I had kind of intruded so the next time I walked up there, I knocked as I entered to let him know I was coming.  He made the mistake of letting me know I was now welcome to bang on his door every time I enter had scared the crap out of him.  Slowly, more staff have put themselves in my crosshairs by thinking it'd be funny to get me first decided to join in the fun. I have one rule: Administrators are off limits...except Mrs. H.  But, she started it.  She got me good. 

Problem is, I can't scare the woman.  She has this mother-grandma-teacher-administrator-eyes-in-the-back-of-my-head-I-feel-a-disturbance-in-the-force kinda Jedi thing going.  I can't sneak up on her.  This morning, I spotted her about 100' away. Her back was turned. Kids were walking around everywhere.  Conditions were perfect.  There was no chance she saw me.  None.  I get 10' away and she turns and says, "Good morning, David." 

"Dangit!  How do you do that?" (I think I actually jumped up and down while I said that.)

I'm not giving up.  I'll get her someday.  But in the meantime, she better keep a close eye on her stapler.