Cold, hard floor

This is another year wherein I am not thrilled to go back to school.  I'm trying to be positive about it and make myself get to the happy place that I have had prior to these last two school years beginning, but I can't get there. 

I'm so tired of the crap that teachers are dealt.  I don't even know what I'm trying to say here.  I'll tell you a ltitle story.

Last year we were not allowed to have soap in our classrooms by the sink unless there were wall-mounted dispensers.  I didn't have a wall mounted dispenser.  I had to wait two months to get a wall mounted dispenser.  We were also informed that we were to not have any anti-bacterial wipes or hand gel in the room.  This, right before what was expected to be a huge swine flu epidemic.  Plus with the wipes thing?  I don't know if you have seen a classroom full of second graders but they tend to pick their nose sometimes and sometimes miss catching their sneeze.  I used to wash off their table surfaces weekly to help get rid of the germs.  So I needed les wipes to help me with this.


But this year? 


This year we have been informed that we are not allowed to have classroom rugs.  We are a completely carpet free school (minus library and school office).  During the last few years I had a rug that I purchased from the Menard's remnants.  I was proud of that rug.  It was striped and cool.  And big.  It was an awesome 12 x 12.  Plenty of room to use the Responsive Classroom morning meeting and to teach the MANDATORY small groups required by the district. 

But Ms. Fire Marshall visited our building and informed our head custodians that we cannot have rugs in our classroom unless they are seamed and have a pretty little label on them that say "flame retardant". 

I understand from where she is coming.  I want my kids to be safe.  I surely don't want them burning up. . .

But really?  If there's a fire, what do you think we would do?  Sit on the freakin' carpet and burn baby burn?  NO!  We would walk out the door in a single file manner and go to the nearest exit like we have PRACTICED AT LEAST 5 TIMES A YEAR.  And furthermore if the goal is to keep our children safe, I should probably get rid of all the books, papers, clothings, etc. that are entirely NON flame retardant so that during a fire,  when we are sitting on our flame retardant rug with its pretty little label and not walking out the nearest exit in a single file manner, we will not burn up at all.

I'm so annoyed about this.  Not because it is an unreal expectation but because our school reality does not reflect this request.  We have children who cannot afford underpants and warm clothing during the winter.  Many children - not just 1 - 2 per classroom.   So let's have their little tushes sit on the cold hard floor in the middle of winter. Totally makes sense to me.

Maybe you are thinking, "Don't sit on the floor. . . use tables and desks and chairs".  Duh.  Why didn't I think about that?  Oh, that's right!  Because our district mandates that we teach in small groups and mini-lessons that require full on butt-on-floor contact.  (Don't worry, I do have tables and chairs for seat work.)  Also, Responsive Classroom (social curriculum that uses best practices) has a main component of morning meeting which needs to be conducted in a circle at a meeting area. 

"Oh", so you say.  "Use chairs in the meeting area instead of sitting on the floor".  What a great idea!  Except most of our chairs weigh more than our first graders.  They can't even lift the chairs up to stack on top of their table at the end of the day.  So I don't think making them carry the chairs to the meeting area will work.

"Carpet squares?", you ask.  Not unless they have the prettly little label (and still cost money).

"Area carpet large enough to seat 24 students that is labeled "flame retardant" and seamed?", you say positively.  Yeah, well that is roughly 400 bucks.   I believe I make an excellent salary.  As someone who works 10 months out of the year we, in my district, are paid reasonably well.  But guess what?  I don't have 400 bucks to drop on a rug.  I could put it on my credit card but I'm still paying that down from the soap and wipes I couldn't even use last year.

I. AM. SO. MAD. ABOUT. THIS. 

And in the wise words of Megan Doerr:  "This too, shall pass".  I wish she lived in my pocket so that I could always have that positivity!!!!

Please feel free to leave your opinion re: this. 

And please excuse me while I go print up "flame retardant" labels to sew to my rug.  OOOH!  Such a rebel!