I Spend the Weekend at SCHOOL

I spent this weekend at a two-day conference at a local high school in which (last year) a student was brutally murdered in the bathroom as part of a gang initiation. (Not during the conference, just during a regular school day).

So ... fun!

Actually, the conference WAS very fun, and I enjoyed the mess out of myself. I skipped all the teachers' workshops and read The Thornbirds instead. Although I am still not finished with it--indeed, I am not even halfway through--I think it is a great book so far. I'm sure I had a much better time sittin' on the floor and reading than I would have had awkwardly making small talk with strangers in the Hospitality Suite.

I'd have much rather been an actual conference participant; that is, I would have preferred to be a teenager and go learn stuff from professionals. In all honesty, I probably could have, except that I have this weird thing where I try to act like a grown-up person, like I feel guilty if I try to deny that I am actually thirty years old, and an obstensibly responsible adult. (Although I could pass for a high school student, if I wanted to. And if I got enough sleep).

The other reason that I didn't want to hang out with the other teachers is ... well ... they're kind of ... weird. In that spacy I-Teach-Theatre sort of way. Like, Theatre is their god. Like, think of the Drama Club Kids in your high school, and then imagine them all grown up. (It is bad to stereotype, I agree, but come ON. They are totally like that, I swear). I like theatre, I do, but it's not my Reason For Being, and I'm too poor to actually GO to the theatre (even if I wasn't scared to death to drive in The Metropolis). It's not the only class I teach, nor was it my major in college; I just sort of fell into it, by virtue of its being part of the English department, and the theatre teacher had just quit, so they needed someone to step in. Also, I kind of think that the other teachers don't like, watch Project Runway or The Office, and hyper-analyze every second of each show to death. That probably makes ME weird, now that I think about it, but ... whatever.

Two of my own kids got mad at me when I wouldn't let them take their LIGHT SABERS into the conference. The reason I gave them: "Weapons of any kind are not allowed in the conference." The reason I meant: "If theatre kids aremaking fun of you, boy are you in a bad way." Although I did spend several minutes wishing I had my knitting needles, so I'm a little confused as to which of us is actually more nerdy. I'm gonna put it on them, of course, because I can and they can't defend themselves here.

Overall, I had a good time, and this is one of my favorite things to do as a theatre teacher, but ... I'm glad it only comes around once a year.