There was a time when I worked for the school district and had a terrible boss. She was incredibly fake but it was also her stupidity that sometimes stopped me in my tracks because HOW do those people get their jobs?

Anyway, one day I wrote an article for NatureWorks.

I was reminded of said boss because it’s been 5 years since I worked there and the anniversary of this popped up for me. Here’s the post. Your standard ad that bloggers do to spread the word about something:

http://www.kellywickham.com/mochamomma/2015/5/11/virtual-field-trip-the-coral-reefs-of-palau.html

It’s in Palau. It’s a virtual trip. Teachers use Google Classroom & other things to access it for their students. It was something I did so often I barely gave it a thought.

Until I was at work 1 day & she, dumb boss, decided to call my cell phone.

Hang on. That’s important.

At work, we used walker talkies. All admin carried them to be easily located. Instead, this one called my phone. The only time she did that is when she & I weren’t in the building together.

I answered.

Her: Hey, are you in the building today?

Me: Um, yeah. You just called me

Her: Yeah, but are you THERE?

Now, I’m already wondering what is up with her because I’ve been at work for over an hour. No sign of her, though. I didn’t see her car when I got there.

So, she’s NOT there but is asking if I am. Weird, right?

I assure her that I’m here.

“In fact, I’m in Linda’s office”, I tell her. Linda works here, too.

“Why are you asking me if I’m here? Are YOU here? What’s going on?”

She proceeds to tell me that she heard something. Emphasis on “heard”.

“Pray tell. What have you HEARD?”

Dear Reader: It gets weirder.

“I heard from someone that you took today off & decided to go on some field trip.”

I’m seriously confused and then I remember how much folx in the district loved to read my blog but pretend like they didn’t. She must have “heard” that I wrote about Palau.

Now, I’m amused.

I realize she’s read my blog.

She thinks that on a random work day I somehow hopped a plane & flew to the western part of the Pacific Ocean.

From the Midwest.

Like, she doesn’t grasp that I wrote about a virtual field trip.

“Do you... are you asking me if I’m in Palau?”

“Well, yeah. Are you there or at school today?”

She’s still on it. Asking me. You know why, right? Because SHE is not there. She’s at a meeting and can’t confirm for them whether or not I’m at work or somewhere off the coast in Papúa New Guinea.

Anyway. I think about that story a lot when people ask me how I think some school leaders are doing with virtual learning.