Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency

#2 serial release: 500 words–2 minute read

From: Chance
Looking forward to the kids showing up
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 9:30 PM

Hi Cousin Kerry—

I am looking forward to the kids showing up next week. I have set up the room the same way I had it last year. It was great to have the kids sitting at long tables that formed a big square. The area in the middle is ideal for small groups. I was lucky to find all of those cast-off folding chairs and card tables to use when the kids work in small groups. It totally works with my teaching style.

It is a perfect furniture arrangement for the way fifth graders interact with each other….Sometimes they want to be close to each other, and at other times, they want to be in their own space at a long table.

Space is such an important part of learning. I am happy I learned that in my first year of teaching.

I got a message from Stan Tofarr today. He is going to come by my classroom to check it out. I am sure it is because I was talking about my classroom arrangement at the in-service. I assume he wants to know if he should recommend that other teachers stop by my classroom and see what it looks like to set up a successful interactive learning environment without spending any money.

More later—

Chance

__

From: Kerry
Re: Looking forward to the kids showing up
To: Chance – Gmail 10:30 PM

watch out for Stan…maybe you are right…maybe it will be a friendly visit…maybe not

That joke about his middle name being Dards? It might not turn out to be so funny.

Kerry

__

From: Chance
Re: Looking forward to the kids showing up
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 3:30 PM

Hi Kerry—

How did you know? Stan stopped by my classroom and told me that I have to get rid of all of the furniture in my classroom. There were a few chairs he thought were OK, but not much else.

He said it was a safety issue.

What he saw: The folding chairs are old and wobbly. The card tables are old and he thought that the legs are unstable. The long tables that were in the classroom from the previous teacher are coming apart at the edges and could cause injuries. Most of the chairs have duct tape holding them together and could collapse…plus they are unsightly.

He plans to standardize classroom furniture in the district. He wants to start with my classroom. He brought along a catalogue to show me the student desks and chairs he is going to order for my classroom.

Is that it? Do I have any recourse?

How can the district have money to purchase something for my classroom that I do not want and then not have any money to buy what I need?

Outraged at the insanity of it all…

Chance