No freebies left behind
Highlight of the NJEA convention: At the registration area, two teachers reach into the a bin and emerge with fistfulls of plastic name tag covers.
NJEA Employee: Ma’am? Do you really need all of those?
Teacher 1: (adopts an attitude) Well, I was GOING to use them for my class for field trips (read: my family reunion) but forget it. (tosses them back into the bin with disgust and walks off)
Teacher 2: (stammers) Me too. (drops hers back into the bin and walks off)
NJEA Employee: (to me) What happened to conscience?
Lovely.
This year Mom concentrated on Math as she did her rounds. After schmoozing the book companies we walked off with lots of sample workbooks, textbooks, and curriculum ideas. I had a guest badge and felt silly reaching for stuff that wasn’t for me. SO Mom grabbed me a keychain, stress ball, magic trick, and a pencil. Made me happy.
We met Miss New Jersey, who signed a poster of herself to Mom’s 5th grade class.
Afterwards, we shuttled back to the Borgata, where we were parked. We had dinner there and then started to gamble.
If you ever need someone to go gambling with who will have fun, not make you feel guilty over losing money, and convince you that great things will happen if you go BACK to the ATM to get more money (“We can win it back!”) get in touch with my Mom.
Actual Mom quotes:
Needless to say, despite our chipper attitude, the Borgata kicked me in the gut, set my hair on fire, and chopped off one of my toes for a souvenir.
