Why I Should Advise No One

Over the years that I have taught, I've had homerooms and I haven't had homerooms.  Some years, they were called advisory periods.  I haven't one in a while, but this year, I have 9 sixth graders in my advisory. 

It's fun.  They aren't too jaded yet but I am trying to make them that way, so we can have fun conversations. 

And they are a little strange.  It's like they don't know I can see them.

Traditionally, when someone in my advisory has a birthday, I let that person choose breakfast.  I will get bagels, munchkins or I will make pancakes.  I bring in my griddle and make them on the spot.  It's not a big deal, but they like it and it's fun.

Last Friday was Jane's birthday and she chose pancakes.  I chose to wait until this past Friday because it was day 2 and that is my lightest day of the week.  I don't want to also make pancakes on a day when I have 5 or 6 classes in a row.  That's just a recipe for disaster.

We talked on Thursday about not eating breakfast because I was going to make pancakes.

You know where this is going.

I was so excited that Friday was day 2, I meandered through my morning, not racing out the door by 7:30 because I only had 3 classes.  I got to school a little later than usual and then I was fooling around with the teacher across the hall as kids were coming in.

It was day 2, a great day.  I could get so much done!

I got into my room and Jane said "Here she is!" and looked at me.  And said "You forgot, didn't you?"

Here's where the jaded begins.

I felt like 2 cents.  I wanted to crawl away and die.  I felt so bad that I not only forgot to acknolwedge her birthday, but I told them all not to eat breakfast!  I offered to send her to the cafeteria for breakfast but she didn't want it.

I promised I would do it Monday, to make up for it.  But that day sucks.  And it's totally my fault.  How could I do that????

The worst part is that she is the first one to have a birthday, so now the rest of them will be like "yeah right".

Ugh.  I can't believe I did that!!!

To top it off, I then had a great nightmare that I forgot AGAIN.  Only this time, in the nightmare, I remembered on the way to school and raced home to get what I needed.  In the dream, I decided to make the batter at home and have my mother drive me back to school.  I had left my car midway and walked home.  In the middle of it all, I added ketchup and spinach to the batter.  And ran out of flour.  And didn't have enough.

You might be saying, forget it, just don't bother.  But I have to because I said I would.  And I'm good like that.

When I remember.