Day 20 - Los Angeles lifts its vaccine mandate. A vax card is no longer required.

Add Code drama…

4/19/22. Tuesday

4:45-My alarm goes off, but I lie in bed until 5:15.

5:15-5:30-You know the drill. I go downstairs to warm up my coffee and the dog is fast asleep, but she wakes up when she hears the microwave. I pet her and say good morning - then we head outside. She does her business and we return inside: coffee for me, cheese for her. I go upstairs.

5:30-6:15-Shower. I sit in the shower, lean my head against the tiles, and drink my coffee. I also ice my eyes. The Daily is playing in the background. Lotion. I wear a mock male-button down, blue Oxford shirt (its cut for a female), and black pants. I really like this ‘silhouette’ in accordance with my curated closet project. It’s a structured shirt and pants ensemble so it looks crisp enough for work.

I throw all of my bags in the car and leave on the later side. 6:15 AM…

6:15-7:30-Uh-oh. There’s an accident on the 5 which slows me way down and I barely make it to the high school on time. I listen to Best of Both Worlds and eat a few squares of my Moms banana bread while intermittently putting on my makeup while I’m driving.

7:30-7:45-This is the latest I’ve ever arrived and I’m relieved there’s still parking. I gather my things and immediately step out of the car so I can sign in at the office. I’m used to having 20 to 30 minutes of down time when I arrive and I don’t have that today so I’m irritated. the standing thermometer screams “Temperature normal!” I walk to class.

Everyone at this school is still masking.

8:00-9:30- Class is in session

It’s a straight lecture on Chapter 10-Part I, so that means I’m “on” for the entire class period. There’s no clapping from the students after this lecture.

After class, I take the student who is struggling out to the hallway and inform her that I’d like to bring in some intervention, either starting with a counselor, the principal, or services at College No. 2. I discuss this with her first because I don’t want her to think I’m trying to sabotage her by going behind her back - I want to be upfront, and honest. The student gets very flustered and agitated when I mention the Principal, because she doesn’t want her parents to know she is getting an F in the class. When I suggest limiting future help and possible intervention to solely College #2 services she agrees.

I think there’s an ESL problem here - she’s from Nigeria - and college resources will be too intimidating for this highschooler so I don’t think this is the solution. I never want a highschooler to leave one of my classes with a D or F, but I’m not quite sure how to help her... The problem is compounded by the fact that I really like the student and want her to succeed. I tell the student I’ll send her some resources from College No. 2 and instruct her to check Canvas email this afternoon.

9:30-9:45-I drop off Attendance

9:45-11:00-Driving. Traffic terrible. I listen to The Post - Broken Doors - Episode #1. I eat the beet salad that L. and I shared from Bookclub Brunch while I’m driving. I’m so tired I almost fall asleep in the car.

11:00-12:00 - Home and I bring in all of my bags and put everything away. Then, I ready my coffee and pack my lunch bag per usual.

12:00-12:45- I roll one of the succulent pots out of the garage because it needs sun. As I’m doing that, a wheel falls off. When I check it, I see that all of the screws are missing. Four screws are nowhere to be found - this is so odd. L. has 4 screws in her tool box and they’re the right size so I fix the wheel by screwing it back into the base.

12:45-4:30-I go upstairs, change into yoga pants and a tank top, put on an Organized 365 podcast episode, and crawl into bed.

4:30-6:00- Up and I grade a Socratic Seminar paper from my Specialty 1B Class.

6:00-8:30-I have an epiphany as to how to help the student. She received Fs on several quizzes and I decide to give her the opportunity to redo three assignments. It’s not as if this is preferential treatment… I would do the same for any highschooler who is getting an F in the class although, in this case, she’s the only one. I email one Video Quiz and two Chapter Review quizzes to the student and ask her to retake them by next Thursday.

-I check email at College No. 2. DeJohn finally sent the Add Codes with a stupid comment that reads: “Of course it is not too much trouble to send them to you. It’s my job to help the instructor.” Uh-huh. If you’re so helpful why didn’t you send the Add Codes to me at the jump? And if not when the interim session started, why didn’t you send me the Add Codes yesterday morning, when you said you were going to? I’ve been wait for them this entire time. “You moved the bodies but you didn’t move the headstones.”

-I’m finally able to send Add Codes to four students along with my Welcome email.

-The soccer coach is back and tries to get in on the Add Code action. I get an email from him “man-splaining” to me how all instructors receive Add Codes at the beginning of the semester. As my Dad would say, when imitating one of his sergeants from when he served in the Army 50 years ago, “Nooooo shit.” Coach ends with the question, “Did that not happen? We only have until 4-21 and [my athlete’s] financial aid is directly affected.” He also cc’d the Athletic Director on this email…. a hostile act. No motherfucker, and I’ll shout it to the rooftops and all staff at College No. 2, “I NEVER GOT THE FUCKING ADD CODES!!!”

I’m not even polite when I reply to this asshole: “Yes, you’re correct. That never happened. I never got the Add Codes. However, per my email to you yesterday, my Dept. forwarded me the Add Codes today and I emailed one to O. (soccer star).” I also cc the Athletic Director. The coach writes back, “Thanks.” I don’t bother responding. Go fuck yourself.

8:30-10:00-I grade another Socratic Seminar paper.

10:00-12:00-L. surfaces and we discuss the difficult time she and her dad are having finding a Hybrid and how much a car payment might be in the future. Currently, her Dad is trying to push L. into buying a used hybrid with 117,000 miles and is also repeatedly telling L. that her new job at The Club will pose a problem when it comes to securing financing. (Spoiler Alert - this is never a problem and L. is able to finance the car on her own, with no co-signer).

12:00-12:45-I keep talking to L. because I need to do a workout and I’m procrastinating. I have to get one in today because I’ve got a lot going on this week.

-I do a 30-min Insanity Max-Friday Fight workout.

1:00-1:30-Nighttime routine. Bed.