Kafka-esque

Today E. and I drove down to Jackson to sign our contracts, get fingerprinted, and sign the lease for our lovely little house in Fondren.  There were, however, a few hilarious moments that I feel need to be documented.

1. My new landlord revealed this his punishment for getting kicked out of one of the private academies in Jackson was to attend the school where I will be working. He regaled us with stories of apathy (his own) and seemed to wish me luck, in a "better you than I" sort of way.

2. The people at Jackson Public Schools are very nice and accommodating, but they inhabit the most labyrinthine building complex known to man. Also, they must be destroying small rainforests in the Amazon with the amount of paperwork they made me fill out. The capstone was finding out that I had to write an impromptu "essay" on the role of teacher with respect to student discipline. As tempted as I was to write 'just smack 'em' in rebellion, the better side of my nature prevailed. Not that anyone will ever read that, anyway...

3. In my new school ID photo (which must be worn "on my person at all times") I look like I've just eaten a canary. Time to work on that teacher look!

4. I'm actually looking forward to the professional development, if only for the sheer entertainment value. Anything with the word 'holistic' promises to be interesting...