I Survived Yearbook 2009!

We had our yearbook party today, and I made it through the day with only two tear-filled anxiety attacks. Sheesh! Only.

I make this yearbook thing as simple as I can, but the stress still builds. Within 30 minutes of my arrival at school, I learned that a few of the teachers I'd recruited to help supervise the party had either called in sick or had been called into service to sub during their preps for those sick teachers. Afterall, if it's Friday, we must be short substitutes. I tried not to freak out, but that didn't work out very well. For good measure I took a Pamprin and 3 B-complex vitamins with a swig of Monster. Note to self: This would have been a good week to be on the Happy Camper pills. Bunk or no, I don't care. Placebos work for me.

Note to self: Next year, yearbook staff members will be required to gift me with dark chocolate and Pepsi the week of the yearbook party.

A few hours later, as we were trying to get the invitations to the party sorted and delivered to teachers, I had another anxiety attack. My English classes weren't cooperating with me much either. Of course, my lesson for the day was crap, with students mostly working on their own on a reading assignment that would have been better with some class discussion; however, part of the reason for that had nothing to do with yearbook. It had to do with Day Two of Textbook Collection. PEOPLE! Didn't I say I didn't have time to deal with textbook collection* other than the day I asked for them?

Frankly, I could not expend my energy dealing with my students' shenigans today. Don't worry, I'll be fresher on Monday. I told them that, too. "I'm sorry I just can't pay as much attention to you today, but next week I'll pay double attention, okay?" I didn't mean for it to be scary, but some of them should probably be afraid. Very afraid. The others, the cooperative students, will get more love from a less stressed-out teacher.

My yearbook rep showed up to help with the party. I hadn't seen her since my last yearbook party, but I am in e-mail contact with her when I have problems, which isn't very often. Didn't I say I like to keep this yearbook business simple? The party had a few problems, but nothing that I couldn't have handled, but I was ever so thankful to have her there to be another one of me, helping solve the little distribution issues. I don't believe I would have had another anxiety attack, but it was a relief to know that there was someone who knew what should happen at a distribution party to help. She's an expert at it!

The party was awesome. Plenty of supervision. No problems. The book is awesome. It was a fun time.

When it was over, you know I deserved a margarita, but I still had to work at my night school. I planned ahead, though. I had stashed a frozen lemonade for that point in the day when I could put feet up on my desk and enjoy some peace. Any residual stress melted away...

Thank goodness yearbook is done for another year.



*On textbook collection: yes, my plan worked very well, and I have passed on the word to as many colleagues as I can find. I have made some kids mad, though because I told them they could not bring their textbooks to me between classes or after school. I know! It sucks that they brought them all the way to their lockers and forgot to bring them to class. So close! Sorry, more homework!

I vaguely recall one of my more hard-headed students bringing his book in just before 3rd period, about the time I was beginning to hyperventilate through anxiety attack number 2. Silly boy. No. I don't want your book. I didn't have a measly 5 minutes to log back onto the system to scan his book in. Try again on Monday.

I also told students that their parents could not drop off their texts in the office. Why should I have to drag those textbooks upstairs? Making me walk across campus to check in their books is inconsiderate. Dropping off books in the office is for after school is over and the parent doesn't want to pay $50 for a book that was never lost.