I'm still knitting. I'm still working on my I Love Gansey socks. (grumble) I do love them! I love the big cables and the small cables. I do not love the yarn (Socka) but it is comfortable. I am not loving the size 2 bamboo needles which are already starting to splinter. I do not love how long these socks are taking and I want to wear them NOW, TODAY, maybe tomorrow. (sigh) I'm on the plain part of the foot heading towards the toes.

The knitting is slow going because I get no time at school to knit. This is not one of those classrooms where the substitute sets out the rules, starts the work plans into motion, and then sits back using her Teacher Gaze pat. pend. to keep the order. No, this is definitely not that kind of class. This is a classroom where the rules are gone over and over and over and consequences are named and carried out but there is need for constant vigilance. I have never seen a Montessori classroom with such misuse of materials and disrespect to peers, materials, and teacher. It does make me feel inadequate, lacking something. I have called in help. I have seen veteran teachers and administrators of 35 years with their mouths agape and their lessons brought to a halt by a series of plucking hands and talking mouths. I'm glad it wasn't just me.

It's not that I planned on knitting during classtime - though it has happened before - it's that during my 30 minute lunch I generally lose 5-10 minutes to dealing with problems in the hallway from my class and the entire planning period is spent checking work plans and dealing with the administrative detail of getting help for those who need supplemental oversight and school authority feedback to students and parents about discipline issues. As a substitute, the county prefers that I not interact too much with parents and that I get school ok for any discipline related actions. Today I Tomato Staked a few kids; I kept them right by my side, in my sight, and within reach the whole day. It helped. The problem is that out of nine 1st graders five need serious educational support.

I was excited this morning because it was Thursday but sometimes before 11am I forgot it was Thursday and I missed 2 meetings and a very inportant Vestry meeting. I was also suppposed to take a dessert for the vestry dinner (I volunteered and was looking forward to it). I'm lucky I remembered to go to family therapy.