An Early Halloween

As a child I was big into dress-up. In university I lucked out with an on-campus job as the manager of the costume department for 4 years. That meant free access to period costumes from all through history. I was in my glory. I regularly turned up for class dressed in Victorian costume or half a tux, or whatever other exploration in fashion history struck my fancy that week. It meant that I could satisfy my desire to play dress-up into my early twenties (when, I realize, that most people have outgrown it).

When I graduated and took on the grown-up task of teaching, those days were sadly placed behind me. Professional attire was expected every day- no whimsical experiments in what it really feels like to wear a corset (not the lingerie ones, but the real ones). Just teacher clothes.

missed that opportunity a lot in the first years of teaching. But now I get to revel in the opportunity to go crazy with costume one day a year. I love it. Here in GN Halloween is almost as big as Christmas. The kids get very excited. Everyone dresses up. There is a big dance at the Complex. It a big deal.

Today we had our school celebrations. I realize that it is only the 29th, and yes, Halloween is actually on the 31st. We have a half day tomorrow and the class that is in charge of hot
dogs won't really be able to participate in the celebrations, so in the interest of everyone wanting to celebrate, we had Halloween today.

These days are always a wee bit crazy. If you aren't a teacher, imagine a costume birthday party that lasts for six hours. Think of the level of kid energy, sugar intake, and then add a 40 minute power outage in the middle of it all. That was today.

We were doing quite well until the power went out. We were warned at the beginning of the day that the power would be out from 11 to 11:30, so the kiddos were not taken by surprise. Nor were the teachers left hanging in the middle of a computer lesson or lost their overhead project right before making the key lesson point.

However when 11:30 rolled around and the power didn't come right back on, things got a little ragged at the edges. It was overcast and we only have 2 windows in each classroom, so it was a bit challenging to see anything to continue math, in my classroom. My students were troupers and tried anyway, but really, what was I thinking?

So, we let it all hang out after lunch and watched a movie together, ate our potluck party snacks, and had the traditional costume parade in the gym. If was exhausting, but a fun afternoon. Another reminder why I love my job.

Not everyone gets to dress up, play with kids, and parade around the gym once a year.