Rantings of a student teacher

Near disaster struck this morning as I walked my writing class down to the lab. Alas, the door was locked and in the adjoining room there was a “Career Class”. I knew about these “Career Classes”, for I had been there when the counselor and career lady were discussing the lab and sign-ups and policies. And so, as I entered the room, to my dismay, I saw that there was another class signed up, no, of course not for the lab that I so desperately needed, but for a career class. Misunderstanding you may say, scheduling error perhaps, NONE. I, knowing that these classes would take precedence in the lab, double- checked YESTERDAY to make sure I would still be able to use the lab for my class…Yesterday! However, I didn’t go back at 3 o’clock to double check, which of course, was my fault. I thought really quickly of what I could have my students do… how could I prepare them for their papers and have them free associate without having the lab? Then, I remembered, (after discussing the problem with my cooperating teacher who is SOOO WONDERFUL and my advocate for all) I had prepared an MLA documentation game, and we went over documentation yesterday, so perhaps I could have them play that. We went back to the classroom and began the game, but no sooner had we started than my cooperating teacher arrived victorious at the door and exclaimed that we would be able to utilize the lab in just a few short moments. We played a couple rounds of the game, and then to the lab we went. We were noisy enough that we had to close the door between the lab and the career room, and those poor students had moved from Career class to lab to career class, all because their teacher, bless her heart, had decided on a seeming whim to schedule her class for the career class. Was I flustered, was I upset, YOU BET! But, alas, it all worked out, I was able to discuss missing assignments with my students, and they were indeed able to work in the lab! Victory has again regained composure in my life!