I do not know if you heard about the heat wave in southern California, so let me just mention how horribly hot it was last week. 100℉ (that's about 38℃) highs. But, by Thursday things had cooled off to a balmy high of 90℉ (32℃).
When I ran into Ms. G on Wednesday (when I ended up covering her co-teacher on my prep period), I asked her about the room switch, and she informed me that her air conditioning wasn't working. Uh oh. I was booked to cover her class the next day. This was horrible news.
But we were not in her classroom. The room we were in was used only for first and second periods, and then it was vacant the rest of the day. Knowing this, I made sure Sherry (the sub secretary) checked me out a key to that room.
Thursday. Eighth grade math.
I arrived at Ms. G's actual classroom. She had written in the lesson plan that the a/c worked a bit, but it had been giving up later in the day. I turned on the a/c and hoped for the best. At the end of second period (they're on a block schedule, and this was an even day) the a/c was still blowing cool air. So, good.
But, do I hope the a/c will hold out, or do I go to the room where it's a sure thing? If the a/c went out mid-period, we could move (as I had the other room's key, too), but moving eighth graders in the middle of a period?
After they all arrived in the usual room, I walked the class over to the other room. And things went rather well. (Ms. G's co-teacher was also out--same meeting--so it was a two-sub day.)
Sixth period was the prep period, and I had been asked to cover a different class. For eighth period, Ms. C and I agreed to meet in Ms. G's usual room and walk the kiddos over like we had fourth period.
(There was a note on the door for anyone looking for us during class time, but leaving a note on the door and hoping the kiddos would arrive in the correct classroom on time? Or at all? I don't trust eighth graders to do this.)
Ms. C and I arrived during passing period, and the classroom was cool. The a/c was working?
I mean, it hadn't had to work so hard keeping a classroom full of kiddos cool. The day wasn't as hot as earlier in the week. Maybe it would hold out?
Ms. C and I conferred. Do we risk it? I had left my stuff in the other classroom, but one of us could have gone and gotten that if we were staying.
We decided to leave it up to the class. We took a vote. They were pretty evenly divided, but going won by two votes.
At the end of the day I had to return papers and such to Ms. G's actual classroom. The a/c? Still blowing cool air.
Would it have held out? Was it now working? I can't be sure. I can be sure that I won't want to cover Ms. G's class again until the weather cools off. Whenever that is.
(It's supposed to rain this week. When you read this it might be cooler. It might be wet. And we might get hot days after this. The joys of SoCal in October.)
I can’t imagine having to teach, or learn, in a classroom with no functioning air conditioning in that kind of heat!
ReplyDeleteNeither can I.
DeleteI hope things cool off a bit
ReplyDeleteWe've had roller coaster weather. It got downright chilly overnight earlier in the week, but we're back up to 90s today.
DeleteYes, I had heard about the West Coast heat wave on the national news. Unfortunately, I went to school before air-conditioning was common and none of my schools had any air conditioning. New York City can still get brutally hot, especially in June when our classes are still in session. I feel for the teachers ahead of work in those conditions at least girls were required to wear dresses. The boys had to wear shirts and ties and they were miserable.
ReplyDeleteThat's way too hot for no A/C. I get why it was on your mind!
ReplyDeleteSiri is not having a good day I meant to say had to work not ahead of work. Either way it had to be miserable for the teachers in those schools. I think you leaving it to vote was a good idea and that way the students felt they had some control over the matter
ReplyDeleteIt was rather miserable outside. At least it was cool inside.
DeleteI heard the term "climate whiplash" being used, which is perfect. From the extremely hot week you describe (cancelled soccer practices and games due to heat advisories) to cool temps with rain (cancelled games due to wet fields) to hot again with Santa Ana winds and wildfires. And don't forget all the coastal flooding!!
ReplyDeleteToday is horrible… and now fires have started. It’s supposed to break tomorrow (again). Crossing fingers for SoCal peeps 🥵
ReplyDeleteThis is awful, Liz! I sure hope temperatures cool down.
ReplyDeleteIt did cool down earlier in the week, but we're back in the 90s today. Sigh.
DeleteSwitching rooms may have been best. You know how a lot of warm bodies can challenge a struggling a/c unit. Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteIt probably was.
DeleteOur temps is warmer than usual for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteAnita Joy writing...I remember being in my high school when I was a kid and it was 38'C/100'F at its worst, and humid, but we didn't have air conditioning. You'd have to peel yourself off your chair at the end of class. But as none of my classrooms had air conditioning right through school, I didn't know any different.
ReplyDeleteWe had rooms that had a/c and rooms that didn't. In jr high, we weren't allowed to wear shorts. (That's a story.)
DeleteI hope you've cooled down by now but I'm seeing wildfires down that way on the news. "Down that way" pretty much means the entirety of southern California.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no. We had a couple cool days, and then we bounced right back up to the 90s. Sigh.
DeleteAir conditioners are necessary and all classrooms
ReplyDeleteI need air conditioning when it's above 70F.
ReplyDeleteWe had a couple days last week which was near the 90s. Today? Lower 60s/upper 50s. I wonder when we'll make the ultimate turn to sweater and jacket weather.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely played it safe, and I think that was the right call. Nothing worse than trying to teach while everyone’s melting in the heat. The vote idea was fun too!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that's pretty hot for a classroom day. I hope the weather is better this week.
ReplyDeleteWhere I am in Australia we have hit that glorious time of year where there is NO consistency in weather whatsoever. Early last week at school it was 38 degrees (Celcius), and late last week, it was 7 degrees! It will settle down in a couple of weeks (when it will just been consistently in the 30s, and then hitting the 40s as we reach the end of term in December), but right now none of us have any idea what to wear day to day.
ReplyDeleteCrowded House do an amazing song about our weather "Four Seasons In One Day", and yes, it is true.
Yeah, that was last week. Two days of low 70s (Fahrenheit), and then back into the 90s. Sigh. This week we might even get rain.
DeleteNot trusting eighth graders to find the right room from a note on the door is very believable, so walking them over yourself was the right call. I like that the vote was almost an even split and you still never found out if the a/c would have held out. Hope it cools down for you soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's cooler. Hopefully this cool down lasts, but who knows? Yeah, I can just picture a bunch of 8th graders walking in ten minutes late and blaming the room change.
DeleteVoting with the eighth graders on whether to risk the a/c is such a smart way to handle it, and I laughed at the note on the door nobody could be trusted to read. Did the class end up glad they made the walk once the day wore on? I'm with OhPic Art, an AI image tool, and I found myself picturing that shift between a cool empty classroom and a packed, warming one.
ReplyDelete