Flamer

Today, I break the law.
Smart to blog about it, I know. It’s been a quite awhile since I’ve claimed to be smart.
For the first time in awhile, I actually feel a bit guilty about it. It’s strange. I was so straight laced and by-the-book all the way into my early twenties. Ridiculously so. Annoyingly so. Now, I don’t think much about ‘civil disobedience.’ Part of it is that I no longer respect our government, or at least those who run it. In addition the amount of taxes and the inane and minuscule laws they come up with truly infringe on our freedoms—maybe not in the huge, enslaved way, but still.
My reason for guilt this time is that I have to admit it to my children. They know what is going on, and they realize why I am doing what I am doing. Granted, I am not the only teacher who is doing it, but I was the first to start. The first to rebel openly and loudly.
The fire chief is coming to inspect our school tomorrow.
As you know, I am rather proud of my classroom. I have taken a classroom that got me depressed the minute I entered it when I was volunteering and interviewing at this school. I honestly considered not taking the job just due to the classroom. There are no windows and only florescent overhead lighting. Both things that affect my mood and depression greatly. Both things that are documented to also have a negative effect on students—especially those like mine.
I took this classroom and molded it to the classroom everyone wants to be in. People come in and let out their breath and say how they would love to come in here and just sit, just be. Come in here to escape. It’s gorgeous. The paint, the paper lamps, the cozy bookroom with a glider, pillow chairs, beanbags, and pillows. In every aspect, sans windows, it is my perfect classroom. There’s nothing I would change (except paint one more wall).
Mr. Fire Chief says you are not allowed to have ANY lamps, no pillows or stuffed animals that don’t have certain fire safety tag from the vendor (even if the things I had came with those, the first thin I would have done is cut them off—who wants tags all over everything?). No extension cords. (Without the extension cords [that my school provided] I would have no power for my computers—not kidding.) The list goes on and on.
I am taking all my lamps down and hiding all my bookroom items (most, anyway).
I am going to put them all back up after the inspection.
It seems the fire chief we are getting likes to pop back in randomly after the inspection.
Great.
My kids know what I am doing. My principal knows what I am doing. Other teachers know what I am doing. The head facility manager (who is responsible) knows what I am doing. You know what I am doing. And, the fire chief, should he be a blog-follower (yeah, right) now knows what I am doing.
I hope I don’t forget to put away the fire pit that we use to make smores during math class….