We have finally finished days of meeting and professional development. The students have finally arrived. We did not get a single, dedicated hour for classroom preparation. This is more of a problem than it seems. Computers are not connected and cords cannot be found. People are wandering around in search of hardware, scavenging if they can. In particular, the disappearance of smart board cords is a conundrum that has some teachers frustrated. They may or may not have been stolen over the summer.

I have no computer. I have an online attendance and grading program that I can use — once I scrounge a computer. In the meantime, I’ll copy onto paper and do this work at home. I have no desks. I have no BOOKS except a single copy to take home, provided by the woman in charge of supplies, who reassured me that the other teachers did not have books either.

Rather than trying to motivate me with cheery speeches in endless meetings, I would have liked to solve my supply problems. But whenever I had time — lunch, that is — no one was around to help, so I went to lunch too.

Why did this happen? I suspect the endless attempt to improve me simply got out of hand.

Eduhonesty: Far too often, we waste a lot of time fixing teachers who are not broken. We should try getting them books instead.