"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

I have been given the honor of having a "co-teacher" this year. I'm all aflutter thus far.

Now we received an entire hour of training-- which is, by the by, 45 more minutes of training than we received on our new grading software-- in which we were told that co-teaching should be completely cooperative, and that both staff members should supervise students and grade papers and deliver information. Of course, the fact that neither of us have any time to actually sit down and plan together has been a tiny leetle hitch.

I could probably deal with that somehow. But now I must, as darlin' Educat says, remove something from my craw.

Because, apparently, "co-teacher" means "I will show up whenever I feel like it, and when I am there, I will sit on my can and play on my electronic devices." To be fair, there have been three times this year that my "co-teacher" has supervised a kid making up a test or an assignment.

BUT! Thus far, this person has not shown up more than 20% of the time. Gee I wonder what would happen if I didn't show up, even once?

I have received one email in advance of these disappearances, which said, and I quote in its entirety: "I have lots of important stuff to do." Well, of course, teaching this class we are both assigned to apparently isn't that important. The rest of the time-- POOF! C-T is not there...or else is walking in fifteen minutes late.

I guess I should be grateful that this person has not thus far brought in a litter of puppies, which, 'pon my honor, is what one other co-teacher once did to one of my colleagues after being absent for half the week.

Now, C-T's supervisor told me that I should pass along if I needed a sub when C-T isn't there, but since I get no advanced warning, and there is no way I'm going to stop keeping my little ducks in a row long enough to fire off an email that I know won't be read, I've been taking it on the chin.

But thank you, dear blogosphere, for providing some venting space. Grrrr.