So, to begin, my classroom is the first in a bank of three portable classrooms (P1). Mine and the one next to it (P2) are the same type of portable and the third in the row (P3) is different in many ways. (A slight map, sorry about formatting).
_________ _________ _________
| | | |
| P 1 | P 2 | P 3 |
|_________|_________|_________|
As best we can guess, they were placed at my school almost 30 years ago. Funny side story, my second year in P1, we discovered half the room was sinking into the ground due to rotting wood supports. We had to vacate and move more than half our materials into P3 for four weeks. It was less than ideal but we survived and still laugh about the "slope" today.
Flash forward to two summers ago- with the neighboring teacher out of P2, we asked for a door between the two portables so we could expand and have an office area and small corner for a group. The door went in with no problems and all was right in our "portable" world.
Flash forward to the end of last school year- we spoke with our principal and were allowed to expand fully into P2 so we could have a room for math instruction and reading instruction. At the same time, we also learned that our speech/language pathologist (SLP), who works with many of my students, would be moving into P3, along with our Title 1 staff who occupied the room. The SLP, upon learning of her move, requested a door between P2 and P3 to ease the access to our shared special ed secretary and myself.
Flash forward to the beginning of this year- I return over the summer, bugging my principal incessantly about the arrival of the door so I can plan my room accordingly. One excuse after another (on part of the district, not my principal) leads us to learn- surprise! surprise! -there is no money to purchase a door. Okay, whatevs. So we have to walk around to talk to each other. Not a big deal.
But it was. All drama aside, our SLP was set on getting a door and worked with our local Habitat for Humanity (and multiple other organizations) to acquire a door, free of charge. She was successful and the door had only to be delivered to our facilities department for them to start the work. Delivered it was, last week, with install to start yesterday. So they show up, bright and early- two vans, two workers, and lots of power tools.
Flash forward to lunch time- I walk into my office, which is in the portable they are working on, not knowing what to expect. I look at the two men eating lunch and then to the hole in the wall and jokingly say, "You should leave it like that. It looks great." To which the head guy says, stone-faced, "Yeah, that's what's gonna happen."
Uhhhh. Hmmm. Okay.
He elaborates, explaining that P3 is placed so the roof drains between the two portables. Thirty-some years later and the walls of P2 are a little squishy, for lack of a better word. Hahahaha, just kidding, a better word would be dry-rot with a dash of mold. AWESOME. I can only imagine what this means for the one-and-a-half-day "project" to install a "free" door.
Flash forward to the end of today- to summarize my giggly (because what else can I do?) frustration, I have pictures and a few catch phrases that were bounced around by the (at least) ten workers who were pounding around on the roof, outside walls, inside walls, and floors of our portables.
- "dry rot under the back corner" and "could have collapsed at any time" (oh, grrreeaaatttt)
- "we're running mold samples to see if any are lethal" and "all human safe" (phew!)
- "at least 7-10 more days" and "must replace most of the wall"
- "something, something, something.... $3,000.... something, something" and, my personal favorite of the day, "most expensive "free" door I've ever installed"
The current state of the wall with the "free" door, which, by the way, is the only thing completely installed. Behind the board on the left is all extensive dry-rot and some holes to the outside.
My consollation: They sectioned off half the room with a huge sheet of plastic so I can use my office while they are working. So quiet and work friendly!!!
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