On Friday morning I went in to school expecting to be giving my German 1 students their first test of the year and to be talking about city vocabulary and Berlin with my German 4 students.
Then, when I walked in to school it was much darker than usual in the office. In fact, we had only emergency power and lighting. No one was quite sure what had caused it or how long it would be out, but students were already on their way in to school, so it was too late to call a delay or cancel.
Most classrooms had a single emergency light. My room also has a window, which provided some more light, but no power meant no computers, no water for washing hands in the restrooms (motion-activated sinks), no drinking fountains, and no air conditioning.
I was lucky that I have first period prep on Gold days, so I spent the time trying to figure out what I was going to do in my classes instead of the things I had planned that required electricity. My German 1 test was on paper, but I hadn't printed it out yet, so that would have to wait.
Meanwhile, other teachers tried to teach as best they could. Since the career center also had no power, the day care located there wasn't open, so teachers whose children normally go there had their children with them in the classroom. It also started getting very stuffy and hot in the classrooms.
By the end of first block, the power still wasn't on, and an announcement was made that we would be dismissing early, at 9:30. Apparently my school and the attached career center as well as the middle school nearest us were all affected and it was going to take a while to get it fixed.
Since my children attend the other high school and a middle school that wasn't affected, they had a normal school day, but I got to go home at 10:00. My kids were jealous, but we may have to make up the missed day, so in the end they may have the last laugh!
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