FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Last year I went to one football game for my school. I showed up, watched about five minutes of the game, waved to some of my kids, and left. This year, I decided to make more of an effort in supporting my students’ extra-curricular activities. The first football game of the year was last Friday: Murrah vs. Calloway. My students were asking for two weeks, “Ms. D? Are you coming to the game?” How could I disappoint? I made it to the game during the last 10 minutes of the first half ( I am going to take this moment to make a quick point about how ridiculous it is that teachers have to pay to attend a game – RIDICULOUS!!!). Anyways, I showed up during the end of the first half and attempted to watch the game, but I couldn’t. The high school that I attended was too small to have any organized sports teams, and so all of my previous knowledge about high school football games is from Archie comics and movies like Varsity Blues, Remember the Titans, and Friday Night Lights. I actually thought that the game was about the game. I believed that students, parents, and teachers went to watch the game, cheer on the quarterback, yell at the ref, and give standing ovations whenever anyone scored a touchdown. Turns out that the majority of people going to the game care little, if anything at all about watching it. There were a few older couples and some people who looked as though they may have some ancient affiliation with the school (previous students?) actually enjoying the game. For the most part though, people were talking, yelling across the stands, texting their friends, walking around and waving to anyone they recognized – never an eye on the field.

Shortly after I arrived and found a seat, half-time rolled around. This was the most entertaining moment of my night. Calloway began the show with its band, flag dancers, and cheerleaders. They played the theme from Dreamgirls, marched around in unison, and the dancing girls bore a striking resemblance to the ladies I imagine I might find in a strip club. I am not trying to deny the obvious talent that these girls have – but, if you put poles on the field, I don’t think that their routine would have to change a great deal. After Calloway, Murrah took the field. Again – the theme from Dreamgirls, marching around in spirals, and little girls in short shorts, leather boots, on their knees, butt in the air, humping the field. Sadly, all I could really do was laugh.

Again, I would like to emphasize that my only knowledge of these Friday night events and half time shows are from Betty and Veronica. This being said, I have a question for all of you who might have a larger realm of actual experience: Were girls’ high school dance teams always this sexual? Is it the inevitable fate of a cheerleader to shake her ass and pop her hip? If someone could offer me a little more insight on this subject I would greatly appreciate it.

Needless to say, I left the game shortly after halftime. Murrah won. I plan on staying longer next time, but maybe skipping the halftime show.

COMPARING THE FIRST WEEKS

I started off my second year teaching in Mississippi at a new school. Thank God. Last year I was teaching 3 preps, head, and only member of the math department, and the only person NOT from the delta in the faculty. It was difficult. This year I have two preps, a department filled with many teachers from different backgrounds, and am in a school with 4 other MTC alum, and teachers from different states AND countries. Incredibly more welcoming.

Even if you take away the community, the diversity, the fewer preps, and the one year of experience – there is still something to be said for having a better home-life. Last year I lived with a roommate in a three-bedroom house, and regardless of all the space, chose to keep everything I owned in a single room – bed, desk, bookshelf, clothes, everything. I left school at 3:30 every day, swung by Taco Bell to pick up my only meal for the day, ate in the car as I steered with my knees, went to movie gallery to get three new movies for the evening, immediately crawled under the covers when I got home, watched two movies, began work, watched another movie, then fell asleep at 1:00 am – that was my home-life.

This year I have made a conscious effort not to confine myself to one room when I get home from school. I try to cook every evening, and try even harder to steer clear of the television. The previous year of experience has helped me to learn what type of work to bring home, and what I can put off until the next day at school. Work is not something I dread anymore (well, yes it is, but still…) its something I can plan for, and make time for, and actually complete before midnight.

The first week of school was different this year, but what was even more surprising were the first weeks before school. JPS requires that all new teachers participate in a weeklong professional development. It was agonizing and horrible, with a few brief moments of pain – but, it was still one week that JPS dedicated to its new teachers. After that, there was a one week in-school professional development required of all teachers. I had an entire week to be in my classroom, in the school, get a projector from the library, learn the copier codes, etc. I got to know the school before I was expected to teach in it. It was so much more helpful than the one morning of meet and greet followed by the single afternoon of decorating my classroom that I had last year.
When the kids came I actually felt prepared to send them to the office, write a referral, give a detention, make copies of an assignment, etc.

The best part of my new school year? There’s a coffee machine in the library.