Let to try to explain what happened at work yesterday with as much dignity as I can. I was giving a test in my class (the one I teach to on a regular basis, not one of the hundreds (or so it seems) I have inherited temporarily as a sub for a teacher who is out sick) and it was the end of the double period, so only a few students (the best) were still in the class and working. As the students were well spread out in the classroom and there were few questions I simply sat at the teacher's desk and worked as I watched them from the corner of my eye.
I decided to write a few notes for a class I had later that day, so I got up to get some paper, and when I sat down I swiveled the chair back into position too close to the drawer under the desk and banged (and I mean BANGED) my knee against its corner. I managed not to scream in pain, trying to convince myself that there was no damage, it was just pain, but I felt the nausea build up right away, and soon after I started to feel dizzy. The next thing you know, I was dreaming of being on the farm with George and Lennie (I was prepping chapter 3 of Of Mice And Men...) and finally I regained consciousness... I realized then that I was lying on the floor with a mighty headache, surrounded by a handful of bewildered students calling my name softly. Imagine...
They had gone to get one of the deans in the teacher's area close by and he walked in as I started to sit up. I must have looked quite pale (I certainly felt pale) because he wouldn't take "I'm fine" for an answer and insisted on staying with the students for the remainder of their test while I went to lie down in the nurse's office right down the hall. As I lied on the couch and rested the head of my section came by to ask how I was doing and insisted on putting a blanket over me. I ended up resting a few minutes more because my head did really hurt and my ears rang for quite a while, but then I was fine. The knee in question was a bit sore for the rest of the day and then nothing, as always happens with these kinds of hits. They hurt like there's no tomorrow, but it's just the nerves, there's no real dammage.
So in the midsts of all this drama I was actually thankful for many things: first, that it was indeed nothing and that I just have a bump on my head and an unexplained bruise on my thigh. Then that the students were so mature. They didn't panic and run around, they just went to get someone and then stayed with me (some mean spirited "friends" have suggested that they may have looked nice but that there is probably a video on Youtube of the whole incident already posted. Let me know if you find it!). As soon as the dean came into the class and they saw that I was able to walk out, they just went back to their desks and continued working on their tests. Gold stars to all the them. Finally the head of my section was very sweet throughout the entire ordeal. She was very motherly when she first came to see me at the nurse's station, though I noticed she had to bite her lip in order not to laugh when I explained what had happened, then she offered to drive me home (refused, but thank you) and finally she didn't make a big deal out of it. After I walked back to my working desk and got ready to go home she asked me if I was ok and then we discussed next week's subbing situation, as everything was business as usual again. I felt cared for by everyone but not patronized. Those of you who have had health issues will understand that there is a fine line that people often cross, but this time everyone involved was really nice in all the right ways, down to the science teacher who apologized for not being able to stop laughing when I told her what I had done.
So go ahead, laugh if you want too, I certainly do when I tell the story and in fact I'm laughing right now. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment