It's Really Happening...

In my last post, I never got to the part where I describe what's actually 'happening' to the prevailing reassigned teachers in the Rubber Room. Since I've got the insider's view, it is always a challenge not to say anything that may incriminate myself or others and in cases like this- being so careful, totally missing the point altogether.

Today was not much different than any other day. Teachers arrive sporadically in the morning, many arriving much earlier than they would for their regularly appointed/former classroom assignments. No, their eagerness to be here is not what gets them to arrive earlier, but they subscribe to the theory that, "The early birds gets to go home early". The concept is definitely becoming popular. Since this is not an instructional sight and there are no children here, there is no concern about covering classes and keeping anyone waiting. No one is ever looking or waiting for us, except if you include the Site Supervisor who tries to micro manage and control our every move. Aside from 1:00 lunch, and the requirement of fulfilling an 8 hour workday, there are no other time restrictions except to get out of the building by 4 pm. Getting in early to leave early is all the motivation most of us need!

The latest character to be reassigned to our room has got all of us seeing red, even the Site Supervisor. "Raven" (her name definitely fits her personality) is one nasty, vicious, spiteful and paranoid woman. It's only been two weeks and she's just about lashed out at everyone around her. This woman not only has a big mouth, but she is big all around and requires a lot of space. She has already managed to clear her table to the point where she's got the corner three seats all to herself. Her former table mates are all now squeezing in at other tables just to stay out of her firing line. This is insane when we are dealing with an already tight space. The resentment towards this woman is growing by the minute. The latest stunt she has pulled is snapping pictures of other reassigned teachers with her cell phone in which she vehemently denies. When she is not taking pictures, she is pounding away at her laptop, blasting music through her inoperable earphones, unconsciously humming nervously and stomping back and forth intimidating anyone who crosses her path. Thank goodness this woman has never had any children.

Mr. Supervisor has been making many trips up to the main floor to visit our time cards. What he does is compare his illegally kept documentation with the times we have punched in and out for the work day. Some of the drivers find it so hard to get parking that they must run into the building, punch their cards in and then drive around searching for a space to leave their car. Not having a car himself, Mr. Supervisor is not very apathetic to this task. Mr. Supervisor still believes that he will manage to catch someone stealing 'Dept. of Ed. Time' and be responsible for having their pay docked. He swears that the reassignees have been punching in and out for each other but has no actual evidence of his claims. His new harassment technique is clocking out anyone who has been standing outside of the building for longer that five minutes. He has recruited his one and only willing friend,the custodian(aka Self Appointed Executor) to keep a watch on us and report back to him our every move.
There is a never ending battle between our 'evil' Site Supervisor and the Building Security Guard(s). The conflict is that Evil Supervisor is always trying to tell Security Guard how to do his job. Site Supervisor doesn't feel that Security is being evil enough to us and the two of them are constantly writing each other up!!! The sad part again is, nobody cares! Not the head of Security nor the Rubber Room head. The other sad part is, it's only Monday.

"The Notebook"

Poor Mr. Warden. He has nothing to do all day. No one to talk to. For this reassigned A.P. who has made a deal with the devil, loneliness is his well earned sentence. There he sits all day in the hallway - alone. This is a man who not only belongs in the Rubber Room, but is recognized by the non-RR-residents of the building as a severely strange and troubled man. Mr. Warden takes his job very seriously. In fact, he takes his job to a level that can only result in his own self affliction. His obsessive need for control and nasty disposition is sure to keep anyone out of his occupied space.

Poor, poor Mr. Warden. His job is to sit in the hallway outside of the rubber room and 'supervise'. Now he can only 'supervise' if there is someone or something to supervise. Since we still have the 'privilege' of choosing whether or not to open and close the door to the room he sits outside of, naturally, we keep it closed. It is only when we leave the room that he has a purpose- or let's say he has created a purpose for himself. In his "Notebook", Mr. Warden has documented each and every time that I have gone to the Little Girl's Room since the end of March. He just sits there all day long and waits for someone to go to the bathroom. Scary, isn't it??? He not only writes down the time that I leave, but also the time that I return. Mr. Warden lives for the moment that he can take pen to paper and document that someone has left the room. Have to clean your coffee cup? Another entry into the notebook. Please someone tell me, what is the purpose of this!? Does this qualify as a form of corporal punishment? I dare to think (Do we still have that right?) that the amount of time that I spend in the bathroom is a personal and private matter. As a woman I feel that his actions are a sick and perverted way of passing the time. This man is really hurting. Can someone just give this man a job?!!