At my job, our desks are inside cubicles that are about 6' high, so if people are talking you can hear most of their conversation. It's about 3pm, after most kids are home, one woman must have just gotten off the phone with her daughter. She says to the coworkers around her, "Are you kidding me? My daughter just said she has a project - she has to write a report, put together a bibliography, and even have a cover page!" Then a couple women around her began chiming in about their kids projects, remembering their own schooling, how so much homework was useless or pointless, etc. One lady said, "Oh, I remember one... we had to use ten pictures with our paper, too!"
Oh, the horror! Ten pictures, a report, a cover page, and a bibliography?
As if it weren't bad enough, one lady said how her boyfriend told her he would never get involved with another teacher because his ex-wife was one and he knew how "they" were.
It was so difficult for me to remain planted in my seat and not open my mouth, particularly after that comment. I'm still livid thinking about it. I might be working in an office and not considering teaching at the moment, but I certainly feel offended. And to think about how this woman probably will react in front of her daughter regarding the assignment is clearly going to influence how she feels about the project, her teacher, and education.
I thought working out would make me feel better, but nope -- still so angry!
