Upcoming

Next week is our first week of practicum, an event that has most people somewhere along the excited and nervous continuum. Much of last week and this week have been spent asking other teacher candidates "Have you found out what grade you're teaching?" followed by an affirmative "Yeah, I have grade [fill in the blank]. I went to visit my school this week and [insert short story here]."
On both fronts (that of the school visit and that of knowing the grade level) my experience has been different than most. Two weeks ago, the teacher candidates and I that are at the same school set up a mutually agreeable time to meet with our principal. I called the school early last week and set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon - more than a week's notice. I called this morning to confirm, and was told they had *no* record of our appointment. An awkward silence. "Hmmm... Um...Well," said the secretary "Why don't you call back in a little while." "Sure," I replied "When would be a good time?" "Uh. Well... I'm not sure." "I should be home by about 3 today, why don't I call back then?" "That should be fine." And so, after class today, I called back. I was told tomorrow didn't fit in with the principals schedule, and she was busy for the rest of the week. "Just show up on Tuesday morning." And that was that.
Most - all, actually - of the teacher candidates I have talked to have been assigned their classrooms. Kindergarten here, grade 1 there, grade 2 over there. So far, nothing over a grade 3. I have started telling people - in the hopes that in saying it out loud it will come to pass - that I hope I have a younger grade for my first practicum. (They are a little more forgiving, a little easier to trick, and a I still look like a teacher when you compare me to a first grader, but not so much when you compare me to a 6th grader.)
I found out today that I will be teaching a 5/6 split.
Go figure.