Where There's Smoke...

We had morning rehearsal this morning. Eighty kids in one room make it hot, no matter the temperature outside. So, I turned on the air conditioner. The room quickly cooled and all was well. Fast forward to first period. The kids said they were cold, so I turned the AC off. Fast forward to third period. The sun was out (beautiful day) and it was beginning to get warm again in my classroom. Again, I turned on the AC. This time, however, nothing happened. The room did not get cooler. I thought little of it and went about my day thinking it might "kick in" any minute. Fast forward to fourth period. I'm in the middle of talking to my students about this weekend when I smell the unmistakable smell of an electrical fire. Immediately I think of the AC unit. I ran to the back of the room, threw stacks of chairs aside to get to the closet that housed the AC unit. I expected billowing flames and smoke. I opened the door. No flames, just smoke. A light smoke started to seep into the room through the air vents in the ceiling. A haze clouded the room and kids started coughing. I immediately told them to go sit outside. I called my principal on the new phones that have been installed in our rooms. She answered very happily, "Hi!"
"Umm.... Mrs. Beebe, there's smoke coming into my room from the ceiling."
"I'm on my way!" she said.
When she arrived she ordered everyone out of my building, called the office to get them to call the fire department, and got someone else to pull the fire alarm and evacuate the WHOLE SCHOOL! I didn't see it, but later a student told me that four fire trucks pulled up and about thirty fully dressed firemen went running into the building. There were people from Central Office. We sat outside for about twenty minutes, when students started going back into the building. By this time, the next class had begun so I sent my students on. I went back to my room and nobody was in there. I had to talk to an assistant principal to find out what happened. Turns out the AC motor had blown or burned up and the fan was just blowing that smell into the room. No biggie. Good adventure. I won't have A/C in my room for quite a while, according to my principal. I started to feel guilty and embarrassed, but I really had nothing to do with it. Nothing like a little adventure to keep you on your toes!

Tomorrow, I take sixty-seven seventh graders to Atlanta with 160 members of the Drake Band. It's going to be a blast. Coke museum, ESPN Zone, Performance at a festival, all day in Six flags. If you're the praying type, pray for us. I'll tell you how it goes!