The easiest thing is to find fault; the hardest thing is to find solutions

So yesterday was American Public School. I enjoy that class a lot; it's as fun as Tuesday's is boring. We break into small groups, we present opinions, we have lively discussions (someone says free in-school child care for teen mothers is going too far, then another student raises her hand and says, "Well, when I had my baby at 19..." and then HOO BOY it's on). Mr. A keeps things rolling, doesn't let people ramble, and encourages a light tone.

But... (1) Mr. A had us break into groups of five and exchange our personal info so that we can work on long-term group projects for, I assume presentations later on in the semester. (2) Mr. A further presented us with a long-term assignment based on our 20 hours of public school tutoring. We have to write some observations of a social setting at the school and / or an official school document (the basic idea being, get some vague sense of how this school operates day to day). Fine, good. But we also have to interview a teacher! Now I am at work, normally, nine hours a day. I have reluctant permission to go to W Elementary once a week for two hours. I don't have time to coordinate a project with four of my classmates. And how in the world am I going to find time for a face-to-face, half-hour interview with a teacher? They work long hours too (Ms. D says she stays 7 a.m.-6 p.m. most days). Groan. I may have to fake a sick day.

Speaking of work, ever since we lost most of our 4-5 year olds at the end of summer due to a horrific lack of planning by the Boss (which I don't want to get into, but I knew this would happen), the Pre-K room has been getting younger and younger. Now the B wants to bring in a crowd of 2-year-olds by the end of the year. We're going to have 18 kids, almost all of them 2-3, with only 3 or 4 in the four to six group. All in the same room, though ostensibly in two different "classes." Cripes. I may have to start thinking seriously about whether I want to keep working there. I can land some kind of part-time job and go to school more. It'll be a squeeze, but that might be preferable to being a freaking toddler caretaker. That is not my thing. Anyway, I'm exhausted these days as it is. Also: no insurance, all my vacation time is used up, generally unprofessional working conditions.