A Lesson in Wanting

Week 2 almost complete. I started the week by getting a new classroom, yes, I have already been through two classrooms before even meeting 1 student. When I arrived in my newly assigned classroom on my first day of teaching I realized quite quickly that there was a problem. My roster said 22 students, my quick count of the desks came up at 16.... students to arrive in T minus 5 min. I did not panic. Something I am very proud about. I simply scavenged some extra chairs, put the desks I did have into table configurations and put as many chairs as would fit around them and called it done. My saving grace is that I teach in a high school where coming to first period is not cool, so I had only 13 students on my first day, and everyone had a desk.
Another adventure in high needs, low budget school teaching this week is that I have no textbooks. OK I have one textbook... everyone kept assuring me the rest of them were in the book room, a mysterious place where books hide, it backs up to the technology closet and is kept just about as organized. But once I finally got someone to accompany me to the book room to show me where the books were hiding, they quickly caved and admitted that they were liars!- ok, they really said 'I thought they were here, maybe we don't have any other copies of that one'. (not a complete admission of lying but close enough for me) SO... maybe they can scrounge up some cash in the mid year budget to get me some books for my kids... maybe (meaning 'fat chance' based on the tone in which it was presented to me).
 Lesson 2: be a squeeky wheel.
Today I got a key to the teacher's lounge, a file number, access to the supply closet where they keep things like paper and whiteboard markers and added 4 desks to my classroom (and a promise for more to arrive over the weekend). All because I have been bugging the crap out of just about everyone. I do not recommend an all out onslaught of annoying whining at your new job, it is not the best way to win friends and influence people. However a sweet email and a reminder daily that you still can not access your lunch or that your kids don't have a place to sit if they come to class goes a long way. Redundancy is key, speak to people and then send an email anyway, talk to the principal AND the vice principal. Eventually someone will listen and you will WIN!
Random happy:
I taught a class how to play Go Fish today. :)