It doesn't rain in southern California after about April, so the rainstorm on this particular Wednesday in June was unexpected. (It was forecast, but no one believes that we'll actually get rain in June.)
And there was thunder and lightning, too.
I was not surprised that the class was missing a few students. I was surprised when my projector wouldn't connect to my computer.
More like panicked. I was quite panicked.
I have set up this entire class on Google Slides. I project everything we're working on.
I did get the thing to work, but it kept blinking out, which was distracting to the kiddos. But somehow we made it through.
Until the thing completely died towards the end of the period.
But they had something to work on, so I had them do that while I fought with the electronics. That had worked perfectly every day up until this day.
My next class was doubled in size. The teacher next door (Ms. B) felt like death warmed over (her words), so she left early. As they couldn't find her a sub, the only thing to do was to combine her class with mine.
I had the room.
And, at least I figured out how to get the projector working.
Her class worked on their stuff individually. I was able to instruct my class with a working projector.
While in class, a car pulled up outside. It wasn't until after school that I was able to verify my supposition (I was right).
At the beginning of the school year, I covered a vacant English class. The teacher (Ms. W) had taken a sabbatical. Ms. B had been hired to replace her.
Well, Ms. W has tendered her resignation. She had left some of her supplies in the classroom. She had been coordinating with Ms. B for a time to come and get them. This was the day she arrived. In the middle of the school day.
But the students were with me.
They wondered about the car. I didn't explain. It would have taken too long, and I didn't want to go off on that tangent.
I was really glad to see the end of that day.
As for the projector, it worked perfectly the next day. And the day after that. I wonder if the electrical storm was the culprit.