This was yet ANOTHER crazy day. See, if I had been at school on Monday and Tuesday, I would have been subjected to the lovely ITBS testing schedule. That would be 5 1/2 hours or over with my 8th graders - some who I love dearly, and others that I would gladly throttle. Then, all of my other classes were cut drastically short, leaving no way to plan balanced classes.

Call me rigid, but I like to keep to the same schedule for all 3 classes.

Then, on Wednesday, we had our monthly AEB (Academic Enrichment Block), where classes are shortened, one class is omitted, and students leave at 12:30. Yippee.

Today, finally we were supposed to get back to normal - except that I was to take my 4th period class, and a trio of gangster wannabes to hear a speaker in the other ESOL teacher's classroom.

Oh, and I was supposed to have a substitute to watch my same class (who I have 5th period, too - all of my classes are 2 hour blocks), as I sat in on 3 SST (Student Support Team) meetings.

I rounded up my students, and arrived as planned for the speaker, who was running late. We hung for a while, as my Hispanic students immediately lapsed into Spanish. I had seen a garish Police SUV pull up, so I figured it to be our speaker, an expert on gangs.

Suddenly, our principal made an announcement that we were beginning a Lock Down. Lock Down is what you do when there is a threatening situation, and students need to stay out of the halls, in case of - say - gunplay.

We figured it was just a drill, and calmly reminded our students why these drills take place. They resumed their socializing. Still no speaker.

After a while, our principal came back on the intercom, and said that the lock down was no longer in effect, but that we were now under High Alert. This means that people can circulate, but they should not leave the building.

Still no speaker. I was regretting the time that was being wasted. My students could be working, finishing their reading assignments. I could be surfing the internet for car deals. I told the other teacher that we could return to our room, and she could call us when the speaker came. I still had to leave soon for my meetings.

The office was called again, and that's when we got the lowdown. This was not a drill.

It seems that a bank around the corner was robbed, and the bank robber was still at large.

The speaker had to cancel. We went back to the classroom.

Then, I explained the assignments to my students, and made ready to leave them in the care of a paraprofessional.

Who was a no-show. So much for the meetings.

In addition to this, I usually take my students to the cafeteria via an outside route. It's through the back loading zone, and is not like we would have been out on the street... I told my students to wait at the door, in hopes that there was someone in the police car to ask. There was no one, so we made a run for it.

The cafeteria door was locked. Great.

And some obnoxious student made a big deal about not being supposed to open the door to "strangers". Everyone's a comedian.

Of course, a couple of teachers called me over and proceeded to scold me. I blathered something at them, and reminded them about what a stressful week I had had.