Amen, Jon. Amen.

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4 things, maybe 5

1. I have more grading to do within the next week than is humanly possible. At the end of each grading period I do question my decision to become an English teacher.

2. My students get a *5 day weekend. I get a measly 3 day one. Nothing like knowing someone gets more time off than you do to turn a 3 day weekend to crap.

3. Today's Catalog Living made me laugh out loud. Alone. In my classroom. When I should have been grading papers.

4.I have to come up with an effective plan to avoid trick-or-treaters this Halloween. Sunday evening will undoubtedly find me hiding under my bed with a flashlight.

5. If I didn't have an appointment after school I'd be home and in bed by 2:30 p.m. Sadly, I do have an appointment after school today.

* Friday we're celebrating "Nevada Day" and have no school. For further information on Nevada day go here, or here. Monday and Tuesday are "Professional Development Days". This means the kids get them off, but I DON'T!!!

Yeah, but I've been to Kansas City!

When I was an undergrad at BYU I had a particularly annoying roommate who, along with stinking to high heaven, had the annoying habit of having to top EVERYONE'S story, no matter what it was: You have a cold? Stinky nearly died from the flu when she was 12. You have three papers due this week: She had four last semester!

Well, my friend M and I who roomed with this delightful creature had just returned from our missions in New York City. This left us with highly sensitive bull crap meters and a toughness honed by 18 months of walking at night through dangerous neighborhoods handing out our phone numbers to random strangers.

I have to say that although I'm sure I was in danger from time to time during my 18 months in Queens and Brooklyn, I was never scared or nervous. I was on the Lord's errand and was where I was supposed to be.

One night after sharing our favorite "I could have been killed this one time...." stories (a favorite pastime of returned missionaries in general and New York South missionaries in particular), Stinky piped up with "Yeah, but you didn't serve in Kansas City. Kansas City is REALLY dangerous." We scoffed and laughed at her. I mean we had served in NEW YORK CITY! A city KNOWN for danger and crime.

Thereafter the phrase, "Yeah, but I've been to Kansas City!" became synonymous with bull crap.

Why do I bring this up today?
For the past two years, the people at Walletpop.com have compiled the 25 worst neighborhoods in the United States. Not too surprisingly Las Vegas made the list. Not once. Not twice. But count 'em THREE TIMES.

Let me make it even clearer. Those three neighborhoods are in the top EIGHT most dangerous.

Why do I bring this up? Not to scare my mother (who refused to allow me to student teach in inner city Washington D.C. even though I'd served my mission in New York City), although she might think otherwise. Nope.

I'm sharing this info to let you know that my school is located right smack dab in the middle of the third most dangerous neighborhood in the United States:



yep. That one.

To sum up, we ship the best and the brightest students from all over Las Vegas to a neighborhood wherein you have a 1 in 7 chance of being a victim of crime.

Here's the thing. Like my time as a young missionary in New York City, I have never felt nervous or worried or even hesitant about my safety at my school. I suppose being where you're supposed to be and doing what you're supposed to do makes all of the difference.

Also, I mention this list because for all of these years I felt so big and bad and brave for working Bed Stuy and South Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Turns out they didn't even make the list. What a let down.

Kansas City did. It's number 23. I guess Stinky had a point.

But I'VE been to Las Vegas 89106!

Quote of the Day....

Background: I bribe my students to do my bidding by promising them that I will bake them cupcakes. I make REALLY good cupcakes.

Male Student: "Miss, your cupcakes are like God--in cake form."

4 things.... Maybe 5

1. This was supposed to happen to ME!!!

2. I have only one more week until Spring Break. It's about time. I'm plumb worned out, and I get to go and see some of my favoritest people ever....(Carly and Rachel, start clearing out your drawers now. You know I'm gonna make you do it when I come, ya pack rats!)

3. I have a post in the works about the British Crap I've been watching over the past couple of months. Here's a preview:



He makes that cravat look really good.

4. My upstairs neighbor decided to throw what sounded like a slumber party for 150 10 year old girls WEDNESDAY night. The main party game was apparently "Who can scream the loudest while running up and down the hall and then dropping bowling balls until 1 am." I don't know who the winner was, but I DO know it wasn't me. Oooooor my students the next day.

5. I tried Pioneer Woman's pizza crust recipe this week and it resulted in the most delicious homemade pizza I've ever made/tasted. If you like pizza at all, you should try it.

This is what happens when you teach at a technology school...

Most days my students write for the first 5-7 minutes of class. Most of the time I give them a topic related to what we'll be reading/writing/discussing during the rest of class. A couple of times a month, though I give them a freewrite day when they can write anything they want. Most of them write about things that happened in their last class, or over the weekend, or use it as a forum to vent frustrations.

Most do that. Then I have my special ones that write the same word over and over again or try to slip in innapropriate commentary to see if I'm reading (I'm not, but my student aides are...)

But, this week, I found a gem of a freewrite left in my classroom. I'm going to try to upload a scan later, but here's the transcript(spelling and puncutation errors original):

"Freewrite!
Hey it's a freewrite. Random time. Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM MUSHROOM Hey look guys its Jordan! Du na nan na nan na nana Da nan nan na nana na Squirrel Squad! The Tank. It's time to Du Du Du Du-Du-Du-Du-Duel! Pikachu! I choose You! Gonna rap! Sean Schmuckers a pretty good guy he kills enemys and isn't afraid of nobody. It's A-Me! Mario! Falconnnnnnnnnnnn PUNCH!"

It's a far cry from the crudely drawn body parts and embarrassingly explicit fare I used to pick up when I taught at a normal, non geeky high school. Thank goodness. I'll take gamer geek ramblings any day.

It has no name written on it, but I've narrowed down the author to either the tall, twitchy-eyed boy from my eighth period class who plays Pokemon at lunch and wears his hoodie like a cape; or the short, twitchy-eyed boy who I suspect has Asperger's syndrome, has one of those sad little sophomore boy mustaches and picks his nose voraciously during my class.

But I could be wrong.

My hair MUST look really good...

All day today, two junior boys have been following me around between class periods serenading me with voice and guitar.

The funny thing is, when I taught them last year one of them barely said two words to me from August through June. Huh.

(This is the same boy I made the mistake of asking "Why in the world do you sag your skinny jeans?" I won't give the answer here, because--trust me-- you really don't want to know.)


I have never been so appealing to the male gender.

Too bad they're 17 and I'm not a sicko.

The Return of the Back Handed Compliment

Today in 6th period, one of my students stopped me and said,

"Miss, me and Tyrell think your hair looks really pretty today."

Ahh. That's nice, right?

The problem isn't in what was said. The problem is in the way that it was said. I'm going to write that sentence again with emphasis added:

"Miss, me and Tyrell think your hair looks really pretty TODAY."

You see, it's the TODAY that I have a problem with. While I'm happy that my hair, does in fact, look pretty TODAY, I'd like to think that it looks pretty on a regular basis.

I've got to get up early more often. Seriously.

I can't catch a break...

Every day at the end of third period, we have announcements. If my school could ever get their act together, these announcements will be live video, but for now, they are just a student reading them over the intercom. It's not interesting, so I can kind of understand my students not listening too closely. Today, however, my third period class was so incredibly loud that it was impossible to hear the announcements AT ALL.

I don't know if it was because it's the last week of school before winter break, or because I don't feel good today, but either way I just couldn't take it.

I stood up and yelled at them: "You guys! You need to be quiet so that people CAN hear the announcements! You are being incredibly rude!!"

Silence decended. The announcements ended. And, through the wall, from the Spanish classroom next door, came the faint sounds of

Labamba by Los Lobos.

Kinda undercut my tirade.

That'll do it.

First of all I need to explain my school. No, too long. Let me sum up....

I work at a magnet high school, which means it's a public school, but the students have to apply to get in and meet minimum requirements for acceptance. On top of that, they must maintain acceptable academic and behavioral levels in order to remain enrolled. In other words: students can be kicked out of the school for grades and/or behavioral issues.

While most of the students at our school chose to be there and are proud to attend, we do have a group of students who 1. were forced to attend by their parents or 2. chose to come, but after attending for a while realized (usually because of the level of instruction and student expectations) that the school is not for them.

Sometimes students from these two groups choose to get themselves kicked out of the school, generally through bad grades or behavior.

During lunch today a sophomore (but NOT one of my students) decided that failing all of his classes might take too darn long and took matters into his own hands.

He went into the bathroom, smoked a joint, stripped down to his underwear, and streaked through the lunch room full of students brandishing another joint in his upraised hand.

Mission. Accomplished.

* Update: apparently, the joint in his hand was just a cigarette. I know. It's dissapointing, but does the fact that his boxers had "Italian Stallion" across the buttocks help soften the blow?

I'm baaaaaaaack!

I can hardly believe it, but I'm sitting here in my own little apartment typing this post on my computer. I have so much to say about the whole ordeal, but that's a different post. Mostly I'm just giddy to be back blogging. I've really missed it.


There are definitely more posts to come, but for now I'd like to share 4 things, maybe 5...

1. This weekend was General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I've been treated to a two day spiritual feast. I was moved to tears often and the messages and lessons I've been taught this weekend have strengthened my resolve to be a better person. I realize that I've allowed myself to become very spiritually lazy over the past year or so, and it's time to make some changes. I recieved answers to prayers I'd yet to utter, and I know that I want to be a better person than I've been. The highlight of the two days was, for me, Elder Holland's
talk. His testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon has inspired me to begin reading and studying The Book of Mormon from the beginning starting tonight. I'm going to attempt to finish by Christmas. We'll see how it goes.


2.I've agreed to teach an extra class this year. This is one of the only extra duty assignments in public education that is actually worth the money they pay you, but it is tiring. I get my first extra payment this next Friday, and I'm looking forward to it. I've decided that to celebrate I'm buying myself a TiVo. I know. I dream big.

3. My sister Christy and I have begun planning our super fabulous vacation for summer of 2010. We have some ideas, but welcome any input. I know that a certain Nashville bus tour is under consideration, at least for me.

4. Jim and Pam are getting married this week. So, don't bother trying to call Thursday, October 8th between 9 and 10 pm pacific time. My phone will be off. I will be living vicariously through my two dimensional friends and squelching the desire to scream "Don't marry her Jim! You love meeeeeeeeeee!" at the top of my lungs. (I love you John Krasinski, and I forgive you for robbing me of those two hours.)

5. I have a new t.v. obsession: It's an appropriate title because it fills my heart with glee each an every week.

That is partly because of the super FAAAAABULOUS musical numbers like this one:



and partly because of this man:



Matthew Morrison, who is both adorable and incredibly talented. What makes him so special? Maybe it's his curly hair, or his cute smile, or the way he dances when he's singing "Gold digger", or the sweet earnestness of his character, or, or, I just don't know. I just know that I love him. I'm sorry Toby. I do.

So there you go. I think this post is my blog in a nutshell: from the sublime to the ridiculous. What can I say. I'm complex. I'm deep. I like cute boys.

This one's for you Christy

I'm sorry.




I'm really really sorry.

I haven't posted in a really long time. I have reasons:

1. My computer is still broken (but hopefully on the mend as we speak)

2. I've sold my prep and am teaching 7, count 'em 7 Sophomore English classes. (Seriously, I deserve a medal or some sort of baked tribute. Really. I am NOT looking forward to teaching this many kids research papers. There may be lives lost, orrrrr I'll get really whiny.)

3. I'm not feelin' it enough to stay after school even longer than I currently have to in order to post on the blog.

When one or two of these three things change, I'll be back at it. I promise.

Recurring Nightmares....

1. Showing up to a final in college for a class that I forgot I'd signed up for and never attended. I arrive with 1 ripped piece of paper and a little stubby pencil. The test is book length and when it starts the professor says "You may use your notes on the final." At that point everyone in class pulls out 5" binders full of notes and I cry.

2. I am being chased by a psychotic serial killer who has killed each of my family members in turn as we run, panicked through the deserted streets of some unknown town. Right before I wake up I'm hiding in a stairwell and can hear him coming.

3. I go to school/work/etc. fully dressed, but as the day progresses my clothes become increasingly shredded until I'm frantically trying to cover vital body parts with rags.

4. I am required to be on stage in front of an incredibly large group of people to a) sing a song I don't know
b) teach an incredibly detailed and complex concept
c) perform in a play I have never read, let alone rehearsed or memorized lines for.

5. I have written down the wrong date for the start of school and show up 4 hours late for my first day of work.


Guess which one came true today?????

At least my clothes are intact.

They gave me candy and called me their light...

The past two days have been emotional for me. So emotional that I don't know how to write about them, but I'm going to try.

For the past three years I've taught AVID at my school. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a program that aims to help students in the middle who have potential, learn the skills and take the rigorous classes necessary to gain admission to a 4 year university upon graduating from high school. I believe in AVID. I believe because I've seen it work.

My school, due to budgetary concerns, has cut the AVID program for next year. My students and I have known about this for quite some time, but it's still a hard pill to swallow. I've spent three years with these kids, taught them organization skills, how to work effectively in groups, how to write better papers, how to talk appropriately with their teachers and peers, SAT and ACT test taking skills..... and now the class is no more. I'm heartsick. I'm going to miss ending the day with my kids.

I didn't always feel this way about them. Freshman year was rough, and I spent many afternoons in my classroom crying in frustration. That was the year I:

1. repeatedly shot down the idea that AVID was special ed,
2. constantly had to command them to stop touching each other innappropriately,
3. reminded them almost daily that they were in high school, not elementary
4. was present for more than one disciplinary hearing,
5. filled my recycling bin with the contents of 1 student's disgusting backpack at least 3 times.
6. lost the lid to my Candy Jar after the class decided to see how far it would fly,
and
7. thought I was incapable of loving them.



Sophomore year was better, but I still wondered if this group would EVER catch the vision and get with the program. Halfway through the school year I realized that I truly loved my class, warts and all. This was also the time when one of my students gave up completely and began to act out in such a terrible manner that I had to write my first referral in 5 years. I had to kick a lot of kids out of AVID at the end of Sophomore year, and that hurt, but it was the right thing to do.




This year AVID has been the best part of my day. I was blessed to have AVID for my 8th period class and so we ended each day together. On the first day of school my AVID students walked in and we were just so happy to be together again. We talked about the year and the challenges they would be facing. They asked me intelligent questions about the SAT and ACT tests they'd be taking. I finally saw that although it didn't seem like it, they'd actually been listening to me.

We worked hard this year, and my students challenged themselves to a level they'd never done before. We loved AVID and we loved each other. We had finally become a family. Gone were the cliques and hurtful names, gone was the drama that had plagued our first two years. What we had left was a group of kids that worked incredibly well together, that wanted to help each other succeed.



Then, halfway through this year came the news that AVID had become another victim of our economy. I kept the news from my students as long as I could, but by the beginning of 2nd semester I had to tell them. They took it badly. We cried. We were angry. But we kept working.

My AVID students continued to participate in tutorial groups even when we had no tutors. They continued to listen to my *ahem* wise words of advice. They carried on. They embodied as a group the words of one of their classmates who said "We are AVID. They can cancel the class, but they can't get rid of AVID because it's inside of us."

On the day of finals, I planned a special awards ceremony where I talked about each student and gave them an award. We cried through the entire thing and had to hug it out when it was over. I thought, "Well that was tough, but at least it's over now."

Notsomuch. Today they all came into my class during the break between finals to present me with a scrapbook they'd made for me. Each student wrote me a letter and they'd also put in pictures I took of each of them wearing my graduation robes from UNLV. They wrote that they would be friends forever, and that they were ready for what lay ahead. The last page states "This is not the end..."

It made me cry. BIG SHUDDERING UGLY SOBS and reminded me of the end of Dangerous Minds where Michelle Pfieffer's character decides to continue teaching even though it nearly killed her. Her friend says "How'd they get you to stay?" She replies, "They gave me candy and called me their light." and he says, "That'll do it."

He's right. That'll do it.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

1. The Good: My students participated in a Socratic Seminar on Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech today, and for the most part they did so well it made my teacher heart grow three sizes too big. One boy came up with two of the most complex, beautiful and applicable analogies to explain an important concept I have ever heard and caused me to think about Wiesel's words in a new light. Of course I had one group that decided that instead of having an open dialogue that they would fight for the sake of fighting and ignore my repeated warnings. I yelled. But the good thing is, I was able to calm down and give them constructive criticism when all was said and done.

2. The Bad: My doctor's appointment originally scheduled for tomorrow in Mesquite, NV has been rescheduled for NEXT Wednesday in St. George Utah. This is bad for a couple of reasons. a)It's another week before I can ask my doctor any questions or find out how long I need to wear this boot or how I'm coming along, and b)it's a further drive and a change in time zones. I'm going to have to leave school early, and even though it won't cost the district one thin dime (my prep period is last on Wednesdays) I'm going to have to take a half a day.

3. The Ugly: I attempted to make a banana cream pie from scratch today. I've never made a custard before and it ended up the texture of soft rubber and the color of sludge. It didn't taste bad (so I'll try it again), but it was a strange texture and it was UGGGGLLLLY.

Expectations so low you can step right over them...without crutches

I've been walking sans crutches or anything else since midway through the school day Friday. It's exciting and makes it much easier to do REALLY crazy exciting things like carry a stack of papers across the room. I'm really happy that I'm progressing, and it's exciting to realize that someday I will be able to walk normally again.

That being said, the reaction of my students and colleagues has been a little unexpected.

For instance: In 5th period I walked to the front of my classroom to write something on the board and one of my students exclaimed "You're walking without your crutches!" and then the class broke into applause. Seriously.

At lunch I walked into Mary's classroom where the English department eats together. One of my colleagues said, "You're walking without crutches! Good job!"

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the encouragement, but it felt a little like the kind of praise you give a toddler after their first wobbly steps or big girl poopy in the potty.



But, hey! I guess I shouldn't complain. I usually have to do a LOT more to impress these people.

Valentine's Day: The Spinster English Teacher's Viewpoint

(Thanks Melissa!)

I used to hate Valentine's Day, then I loathed it.

Now?

I don't really know.

I do know that I hate teaching teenagers on Valentine's day. There is so much drama, so many conversation hearts and enormous mylar balloons with cartoon animals on them. Right now I'm looking at a balloon decorated with a tattooed cartoon wolf wearing a t-shirt that says "Bad to the Bone!" holding rose between his teeth like a cigarette with the words "I'm all yours! Baby!" emblazoned next to his head. Oh yeah, and it plays "Bad to the Bone" if you hit it.

This creates a dilemma for me, as I want to punch it every time I see it (which will be all day 'cause I'm holding it for one of my AVID kids who, for some unfathomable reason, doesn't want to walk around school all day with it. Hmmmmm 'can't figure that one out.), but must refrain in order to NOT hear that song over and over again.

Life is full of challenges.

A few years ago when my friend Helen was in the blissful first year with her now husband she called me on February 15 and said, "Guess what I got for Valentines? Guido bought me a heart pendant from Tiffany's! It's so pretty!"

I responded, "Really? I got a cherry Blowpop and two Scooby Doo valentines!" I wish I could say that I was exaggerating for bitter spinstery effect, but alas, it was true.

Valentine's day has become the day when my students pity me and my solitary red-rose-and-conversation-heart free life. It's the day when my sweetest girls cock their head to the side and ask, "Miss, do you have a Valentine? Don't you get lonely? Don't you EVER want to get married and have kids?"

Annnnnnnnnnd this year, Valentine's is the day when I will go to a singles conference trolling for men.

I think it's safe to say this isn't my favorite day all year, but it does give good copy.

It's all over but the wearing of silly hats...

I went to my final class as a master's student at UNLV tonight. I turned in my sub-par paper, went to dinner with my friend Becky, and it's over. I can scarcely believe it myself. If I so choose, I will not have to ever go back to the UNLV campus after next Tuesday when I walk in graduation.

A couple of my professors want me to start working on my doctorate, like yesterday, but I am looking forward to a little while of just being a teacher, member of the AVID Training Cadre, and teaching professional development classes for the district. (I know. I don't know how to say no) I'm looking forward to coming home after school and reading books FOR PLEASURE again. I'm looking forward to naps and summers spent trying to fill my time.

I know that I'll feel a little lost in a couple of weeks when this all sinks in and I will start looking for ways to fill my time. I've been considering a couple of things....



First of all, I've lost all of my excuses for not working out, and I'm tired of being fat and feeling like crap. I really want to get on this one.



I could pick up an old favorite: cross stitch. That way I could become "The Cross Stitcher of Light". Watch out everybody, you could have one of these babies heading your way.



Maybe I'll pick up a new skill? I've actually thought about this one, but don't know where to go about learning, since I don't learn skills too well from books. We'll see. I'd love to be able to knit, even if it's just scarves.



and I haven't scrapbooked in two years. Almost two years exactly. Of course, the scrapbooks I'll be creating will be Austen: The Early Years. I swear, any day I'll be dressing him like a baby and pushing him around in a stroller.



I could get down to business and write that book I've always thought about, but if I do that I might as well consider climbing this:



'cause it sounds like the same amount of effort to me.

What I'd love to do is go back to England and stalk this guy:



But I don't have the money.

Any suggestions?

Hello Darkness my old friend...

A flock of sheep that leisurely pass by
One after one; the sound of rain, and bees
Murmuring; the fall of rivers, winds and seas,
Smooth fields, white sheets of water, and pure sky -
I've thought of all by turns, and still I lie
Sleepless...
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"



This past Saturday I stayed up until after midnight completing my Master's Culminating Experience Portfolio. This is the project that replaces a traditional thesis, and required me to compile examples of papers, tests, lesson plans, reflections, etc. that I had completed as apart of my coursework or as a result of my coursework and then reflect in writing about each artifact. The entire portfolio fills a 3" three ring binder, and if I do say so myself, turned out quite nicely.

Anyway, after finishing this vast undertaking I was EXHAUSTED and headed to bed thinking, "Thank goodness tomorrow is Stake Conference and I can sleep an extra hour." HA!

Instead I tossed and turned, first too hot, then too cold, then my bed was too soft, then it was too hard, and this Goldilocks didn't ever find "Just Right". I took a bendryl at 2:30am and it made me even more tired and dopey, yet I still didn't sleep. At 3:30 I finally felt the beginnings of real sleep and the last time I saw on the clock before sleep took me was 3:50. I woke up at 8 am to the sounds of Austen and my brother's two dogs (I was babysitting. More on that later) crying to go outside and pee. We did so with them pulling my arms nearly out of the sockets and with me in a benadryl haze. We came back in and I fed them and went back to bed until 9 am when I got up and got ready for church.

I considered going back to bed and skipping Stake conference, but am so glad I didn't. It was the best meeting (other than General conference) I've attended in a long time and I was really touched and motivated to make some changes in my life.

When I came home I was determined to take a good long nap, but when I lay down in bed I just couldn't sleep. I was exhausted, my entire body ached from fatigue (where does insomnia hurt? EVERYWHERE.) and yet I couldn't sleep.

My sister Christy (who is one of those disgusting people who falls asleep the minute her head hits the pillow and doesn't wake up three to four times a night having to pee) called and I told her how I only got 4 hours the night before and couldn't even manage to take a nap. Because she's never had a problem sleeping she's always incredulous to hear that I can't, even though I'm so tired I want nothing more than to crawl into bed and hibernate for several months. She asked me a few questions about it and then concluded, "Something's wrong with you."

Finally. Someone other than myself had the nerve to tell me what I've known for a long time. There IS something wrong with me. Maybe some THING (singular) isn't the issue. Maybe it's more like MANY THINGS are wrong with me. What do you think? Never mind. Don't answer that question. I don't want to know.


Oh, and then there's this:



I may never sleep again. Or eat yogurt. Wouldn't want to risk it.

I probably shouldn't ....But I'm gonna!

Ok, I'm in full-on rant mode right now, so bear with me. Because we have a roving English teacher this year during my 4th period prep I have to leave my classroom to work in the English Department workroom.

This is fine for the most part, but means that I have to talk to people who come in to make copies. Today one of our law department teachers came in to do so and engaged me in conversation.

He said, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time but thought it might be inappropriate."

Let me just tell you that this man is quite a bit older, and has come to teaching as something fun to do after a long career as a divorce lawyer here in Vegas. So, I thought that maybe "innapropriate" was code for personal. I cautiously told him to go ahead, thinking that I would refuse to answer if it was too wierd.

What followed, however, didn't make me uncomfortable, it made me EXTREMELY ANGRY.

He said, "You know last year when you presented strategies to us on Professional Development Day?"

Me: "Yes"

Him: "You said that you'd done several presentations that day and I saw that you were wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. My question is, why in the world would you wear jeans and a sweat shirt if you were presenting? That just seems really unprofessional to me and I just simply wouldn't be caught dead doing something like that."

I was absolutely stunned. Let's say that my appearance that day WAS unprofessional. WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF YOURS TO TAKE ME TO TASK, OLD MAN?? In addition, this training that he's referring to was LAST NOVEMBER!! It has been nearly a year that he's been waiting to tell me this.

Now, let me give you the background.

1. On Professional Development Day the dress is casual. If I did dress up it would have been innappropriate. I was presenting to co-workers and wanted to match them.

2. I was wearing my AVID T-shirt and presenting AVID strategies.

I cannot believe the rudeness of this man. After I explained the two items above he smiled condescendingly and pointed to his shirt and tie and said, "This is appropriate presentation attire."

Well, SCREW YOU OLD MAN!

I know. I know. This whole situation says more about him than me, but GRRRRRRRRR!!!

UPDATE: Today is Staff Development Day and EVERY SINGLE PRESENTER has done so in jeans and a t-shirt. FYI.