Right before school got out, I received an email from our school secretary telling me that I would be getting a new computer.
A NEW COMPUTER.
Wow! I thought.
WOW.
Then I began to wonder things as I usually tend to do when I am told something that is surprising and unexpected.
I wonder if they will take one of the old computers away? I wonder if they will let me have three computers now? Three!! WOW! Wait. Shoot. Three is odd. If I have a center of 4 kids, one kid is going to have to share. Well, technically, that means two kids will share and two will get their own. I wonder if that will cause problems? I wonder if it will be faster than the computer that runs my ladybug?
Then school ended and I forgot all about it. It never came.
Until I went to school on Monday and saw that I.T. had, in fact, delivered a new computer.
AND A NEW PRINTER!
Jackpot! I said.
I should go buy a lottery ticket!
And then.
I realized what they did.
Before I state the following, I’d like to go on record, officially on record, and say that I am so so so thankful for a new computer and a printer and this is not a complaint. Just an observation, let’s say. A teacher observation that I’m not sure other people in other professions would think two thoughts about.
I did not take pictures on Monday so for some of this, you will have to use your brain and do some visualizing inside your own head (sorry, I know it’s summer vacation for most of us).
This is my word wall.
It’s above a long long long counter in the back of my room.
(This was taken at the beginning of the school year and in no way
reflects the actual number of sight words that we learned and/or
my failure to hang up new words as the year went by)
The listening center is in front of the word wall.
Each headphone goes on a circle so that
it stays somewhat organized.
And untangled.
This is the long long long counter that is continuing down the back of the room.
Now. I ask you. You. A TEACHER. Look at that big ole long counter and think. Where would YOU put the third computer? So that it doesn’t block the words on the word wall?
I’ll give you a minute.
Okay, you only needed a nanosecond because I can bet that you see there is a perfect spot right next to the computers on the right hand side. See it? Right there in front of the flower on the window.
It’s practically begging for one more computer to be set up there.
Look at me, it’s calling out. RIGHT HERE! I’m the perfect spot for a new computer!
Except I.T. did not see it that way.
Or even use their eyes at all, I think.
Because do you know where my new computer ended up? Do you?
Yes. Exactly.
This is the part you have to picture in your mind.
When I went to school on Monday, the new computer was sitting in front of the word wall, blocking the letters Q, R, S, and T. And, not only that, they (I don’t know who they actually are, but I am assuming he or she or they are tech savvy people and not teachers) shoved, literally shoved, and piled my listening center headphones back against the wall (OFF THE CIRCLES, I’M TELLING YOU, THE CIRCLES THAT KEEP THE HEADPHONES ORGANIZED, PEOPLE!) and tangled things all up and what resulted was a useless listening center.
Useless. And sad. Tho thad.
I mean, you can’t even get to it.
And!
They moved my ladybug document camera over there, too, and it is no longer on the little cart in the center of the room where I do the teaching part of my day when I use the ladybug.
AND!
They put the printer there, too, and it’s a HUGE-SUPER NICE-DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO WORK IT-printer and it is blocking the letter U on the word wall.
AND AND!
Someone, and again, I have no idea who, sat on one of my little turquoise stools while they were installing, hooking up, whatever-ing the new stuff and now the little stool appears to be a bit wonky. I think. It’s possible one of my kids made it wonky last year and I just hadn’t noticed or it could be from that one or three or seven times that I stood on it to add a word to the word wall. It wasn’t that many times because I kept forgetting to add new words.
All of this is to say that I am so grateful (REALLY) for new technology and I cannot wait to use it, but I feel like everyone needs to know that I will clearly not be at fault, nor should I be held accountable, when my future classes have no clue how to read or spell words that begin with the letters Q, R, S, T, or U.
Shoulder shrug.
Q isn’t that important anyway, right?
😉
(PS I already told Steve he has a ton of work to do when I’m allowed back in the classroom. He said I.T. guys (and girls) have one thing on their mind. And it’s not a word wall. Or a sandwich. Or even wine! It’s techy stuff. Who knew???)
Everyone deServes to Learn says
I feel your frustration! Steve is right- there is some sort of tunnel vision that goes on. Hope you can easily move it to the other side!
-Maria
Lia says
I could join you for whine, er um, wine and good chat about the wonders of I.T. and how sincerely grateful I am. One CAN be puzzled and grateful at the same time. I got to visit my new classroom for next year. Hooray! It has an VGA/HDMI outlet in the wall! Hooray! But it is on the BACK wall, and there is not a power source nearby. There are other technical/logistical issues as well. The classroom's previous occupant did not use the doc camera or an AppleTV, so it posed no problems. I intend to use both should my fabulously geeky husband be able to fix the problems. Regardless, I am grateful for all the technology I have at my disposal. Sincerely. Without sarcasm.
Suzanne says
That reminds me of when my district hired contractors to come and run lines for internet in our school which was not wired when built because it was build in the dinosaur times before internet. Some jackwagon ran the line (in a metal 4x4x4 pole) down the middle of a bulletin board. Yeah. I had a big ol' fit and made them move it. I had to call the Director of Technology to make it happen, but it got moved. Sigh.
~Christina says
What is wrong with them? They seriously must not be married!!! Bahahaha…
~Christina says
What is wrong with them? They seriously must not be married!!! Bahahaha…
Sarah Weck says
Surely you can move at least the computer. And by you, I mean, you should have Steve move it and then if you get in trouble you can blame him. I moved my computers 3 years ago, plus my friend's computers (because she's a scaredy cat), and I haven't had my hand slapped yet, so Steve should be safe.
Good luck!
Shine on in First Grade
Miss Kindergarten says
BAHAHHAAH!!!!
angie says
I totally understand! I have a beautiful, MAGNETIC chalkboard that is about 12 feet long. When we were on spring break, the IT people came in to install our Promethean boards. Guess where they put it? Yep!!. Now I have about 4 feet of chalkboard left. I love, love, love my PB but sometimes I secretly wish the whole thing would break forever so I can go back to using my beautiful MAGNETIC chalkboard. (tee hee)
angie says
I totally understand! I have a beautiful, MAGNETIC chalkboard that is about 12 feet long. When we were on spring break, the IT people came in to install our Promethean boards. Guess where they put it? Yep!!. Now I have about 4 feet of chalkboard left. I love, love, love my PB but sometimes I secretly wish the whole thing would break forever so I can go back to using my beautiful MAGNETIC chalkboard. (tee hee)
Grade School Giggles says
The computer layout in my last room was very challenging. I had 5 computers that had to go on one very oddly shaped wall. You may be able to get a longer ethernet cord and possibly use a powerstrip to slide everything down to where you want it.
✿April✿
✿Grade School Giggles✿
Amy Myers says
Ahhhh!!! I feel your pain. It reminds me of when I got my smart board. I love my smart board. Spaz (my students named it) and I get along well. But!! But when they installed it over my white board, they stuck it smack dab in the middle. My classroom wasn't centered at the middle of the board. When I asked them oh so nicely when they were prepping for installation (in the middle of the school year btw), they said they had to put it in the middle. Why then do the other third grade classes have theirs off centered with more white board space so the white board is actually usable and they can arrange their seats around the smart board instead of like my room where the kids are arranged around the edge of smart board? I don't even know if that sentence makes sense, but I'm sure you can feel my sadness. It was seven years this past January and I'm still tho, tho thad about it. Do you think Steve could come move my board for me after he arranges your computer? Please?
Tonya says
Ah, apparently this is a roving team of IT installers. You see, they've been to my school, too. There is a niche cut into the wall by the long counter for the computer table to slide into so that you have a seamless long counter/computer table combo back there. The table does not stick out into the room. It is fabulous! This is a statement of fact and is in no way an opinion; I have seen these set up in other buildings in my county. However, your roving band of IT installers thought that putting the internet hook up directly in front of the windows would be an awesome use of space and block all of the natural light. Perfect, don't you think? 😉
Tonya
Storybook Endings in Second
Kristy Pruett says
Did you get a true "new" computer or was it a "new to you" computer. In 15 years of teaching I have never gotten a true new computer, it is always a refurbished
Jen R says
It is amazing what is not obviously to NON teachers.. in so many aspects of teaching…or designing a classroom…or curriculum…or… the list goes on and on and on…lol
MissCoffey says
I love everything about this post. The bond and understanding between teachers is amazing. When we were told that we would be dismantling our computer lab and every teacher would be getting 1-2 more computers… Instead of being grateful, my first thought was, "I have no where to put them. No thank you." Luckily my principal gave me a friendly #firstworldproblems reminder and everything worked out in the end. :). I know you will make it work!
LaKeta says
You seriously make me laugh…not at you but at myself. I swear I have had the exact same issues with I.T at my school. Last summer I needed a longer Ethernet cord so that my student computer could be plugged in and the cord could be ran behind some furniture…you know so it wouldn't be tripped over. I even offered to buy the cord myself. I carefully rolled up the old(not long enough cord) and tied it together with a pipe cleaner, wrote a sticky note so "they" could perhaps use this shorter cord somewhere else and posted said sticky note with the cord. I came back to my room to find the too short cord untied…no sticky note in sight… and the cord was (I kid you not) plugged into the computer and S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D across my teacher area about a foot and a half off the ground….it was like a tight rope! Hahahahaha! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Sue Keirn says
I so feel your pain!!!!! On an unrelated note … where did you get your circles for your headphones????
Mrs. Wiley says
I feel your frustration. It would be nice if someone might stop and think what would make sense or better yet ask for teacher input. Techies do wonderful important work, but we should be able to work together to make things even better.
Mrs. Wiley says
I feel your frustration. It would be nice if someone might stop and think what would make sense or better yet ask for teacher input. Techies do wonderful important work, but we should be able to work together to make things even better.
Mrs. Wiley says
I feel your frustration. It would be nice if someone might stop and think what would make sense or better yet ask for teacher input. Techies do wonderful important work, but we should be able to work together to make things even better.
Mrs. Wiley says
I feel your frustration. It would be nice if someone might stop and think what would make sense or better yet ask for teacher input. Techies do wonderful important work, but we should be able to work together to make things even better.