Toot Sweet SolonI am seven days away from being done with 9-hour days of cursed middle school moments
pushing kids through projects that they don't wanna do (and I don't wanna do) is such a rough experience
like it's fun and all to make video games with kids, but we turned those in weeks ago. My co-coach pushed a bunch of the team into a really hard building project that is a ton of busy work and they all hate it and it's so much added stress bleagh
Now it's the weekend before it's all due and we've got nothing done and I'm just having to be like: "you have to do this and this now, I know you've missed every deadline I've given you, but this is the last weekend so just go do it."
But hey! We're better off than last year where a student turned in a blank posterboard with nothing but half of an empty water bottle and a solar panel glued to it.
he uhh did not really do well that week. My co-coach was so embarrassed by it that he tossed it in the garbage before we got onto the busses to leave, and he had the student salvage the solar panel for us to re-use this year
He was the only student I've ever had to take outside and shout at.
Water bottle kid did not act up the rest of the year, he became a very kind person after that actually, and now his little brother is one of our star players!
anyways, just a week until the state competition and I'm so nervous that our games and comp entries will somehow get DQ'd or somehow tossed out or lost... just generally anxious about everything
and then immediately after that is Spring Break! :P
can't sleep, so here's more anecdotes
two years ago I hosted the smash tournament that got thrown together. 140 entrants in three hours on two WiiU's.
I've earned my TO wings
This year I expect probably 200+ HS and MS students and I'll probably end up hosting it again last second lol
I'll get a spreadsheet this time though
Two years ago a kid threw bananas all over his room and crushed them into the walls. Last year a kid prank called pizza. I expect this year someone will lose something precious down the toilet.
Every year kids bring snacks to state. first year was flaming hot cheetos and hawaiian punch (crushed and stained into hotel floor), last year was takis and coke (ditto), I bet this year will be dinamite doritos and red bull (will inevitably meet same fate)
Finally they always ALWAYS go to bed at 3am and if I don't guard the rooms, they'll try to go to each other's rooms (curfew is security enforced at like 11pm)
and then they always get up real pissed-like at 7am. It's hilarious every time
Ahhh I can sleep now... Got all my worst fears out and they are all really silly seeing them in writing.
In a week, we're gonna be champs ⚡💪🏆