Getting ahead.

How does one get ahead in life?  Every month my savings account goes DOWN in total amount. It should be going up. I know debt kills, but with a wage freeze for public sector employees, I'm literally watching my money supply shrink instead of grow. Forget Christmas presents...I'm just hoping I can pay my bills on a month-to-month basis once April rolls around. It's sad that I'm looking forward to the New Year for one major reason:  a tax return.  And for what?  To pay down bills.  Thank you very much, ass-hat douche-bag Scott ass-clown Walker.  I hope you get a fat recall for Christmas.

In general, teaching is going well on a day-by-day basis. But thinking about any more than one day into the future makes me curl up in a ball in the corner with the shakes. The amount of planning, grading, and babysitting that one does as a high-school teacher is ridiculous given the reputation that teachers have among uneducated Republicans who think educators are overpaid and "only work 9 months out of the year."  I've got no problem saying FUCK YOU to believers of this misconception.

Top 5 unrealistic things I'd like for Christmas:

5) An iPad. Seriously. It'd be nice for the classroom, at home, and everywhere in between. You might say, "Well, that's not really unrealistic."  No, it is. I may be salaried, but I still live paycheck to paycheck just like I was working for a grocery store.

4) An entire unit, planned out, complete with lectures, hand-outs, assignments, and assessments. Just one unit, for one class.

3) A day off that I wouldn't have to plan for.  I haven't taken a sick day because it's actually MORE work for me to stay home than it is to go to work sick or tired or generally unable to work that day. Class-by-class sub plans, rosters, instructions...shit, it's just easier to go in and be sick or miserable.

2)  The ability to show anything I wanted in class. Students like South Park, rap music, and swearing. But I can't say a naughty word in class.  So, YOU tell ME how I'm supposed to make this interesting for them.

1)  A class filled with students who listen. I understand they don't care, but when I prepare a hand-out, explain it to them 3 times (to the tune of groans and sight of massive eye-rolling), play a review game, and drop the most obvious hints during the test, AND they still fail miserably, it's a tad bit discouraging.