Boredom

It is day three of the hallowed AIMS test - that's the Arizona state standardized test for those of you who either a)don't know me well or b)care! And right now I'm going on hour four of sitting in a room with 23 students who have to try as hard as they can to be silent. And for some of them I think it uses more brain power than taking the actual test. We've been done testing for about 45 minutes now but until the entire school is done we wait. And wait and wait. What makes it worse is that we have missed our usual lunch time by about 20 minutes already and they're hungry. Frankly, I am too. I'm hoping they don't hear my stomach growling.

Four of my students are engrossed in a book which is awesome. Others are browsing my "big books" - the Ripley's Believe It or Not, my Book of Weird Animals, etc. Some are sleeping (we have had different snorers each day, today's was the loudest and I think the snickering woke him up). Others are perfecting their sign language and note-writing techniques. Some are staring blankly into space. I know that feeling well. I have to be on high alert, watching them test, waiting until they raise their hand to signal they need a Kleenex or a new pencil or have a question.

In the meantime I've answered some emails, been told I have to sub during my only plan this week, and started the new John Grisham novel. I tried writing - I reread some of what I've recently written but I can't get lost in that world when I am so obviously stuck in this one.

So we wait. With growling tummies, anxious feet, and tired looks. TGIF.