The leaves grow ever upwards, the only sign that time has passed at all.

Speaking of time...today I stood at my door at the change of class to 4th period. BOLT was announced (Be on lightning time) and with the lightning came the storm of children running to class. The kids in the hallway looked like they were roaches and someone had just turned on the lights in a house given over to squalor. Each of them scurrying to class as if they were desperately trying to escape to safety under the refrigerator. I saw teachers abandon their place in the bathroom line to sprint (that is not an exaggeration) to their classes to rescue their children from the vagaries of whimsical, and arbitrary policy enforcement. I stood in my doorway like a Cypress Bay Oskar Schindler, closing my door as slowly as possible, trying to save as many as I could. I lost only one because no one would open the elevator for her. She was eventually rescued and found safe harbor in class WHERE THE LEARNING IS.

On that note, I should mention I generally try to be fair when it comes to work etc. First period, how about extending the courtesy and coming to class? You do know I can see your attendance for the entire day? Right?

OK, so first period is basically just a memory now, (and to some extent fourth period) and honestly some people have missed so much class at this point I probably wouldn't even recognize them. I probably have students that have grown full beards, married, had a family, raised children and sent them to college since the last time they bothered to come to class.

A few people literally have grades less that 5 percent and they still don't take any steps to fix this. Oh, colleges also can see your attendance. And grades. That is a friendly warning. Because I care. They may not.