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Not that I am expecting the individual/s who broke into my truck today on East 12th Avenue to actually read this post....

I am simply writing to express my devastation of weeks of lost data information regarding my students' baseline assessment scores (yes....I lost my grade book), homemade science journals (because our school doesn't have the budget for actual composition books) in which my fourth graders just made their first exciting observations of the terrariums they planted last Monday, language arts and math curriculum books, spelling tests, comprehension assessments, two training binders (one for English Language Learners and the other a Writing program we use to prepare our students to take the grueling fourth grade state assessment), and fluency assessments (teachers will understand how the latter is a HUGE loss of time!).  Not to mention my flash drive and super cute pink one-hole punch from Office Depot. 

It is sad to think that right now, as I type this, my black and white floral Target brand canvas bag and all or most of its contents are probably sitting in someone's trash can or strewn across some nearby street.  The thieves who broke into my truck must have been pretty desperate to find out what the contents of my bag were, as it weighed about thirty pounds!  The two female OPD officers (who arrived within two hours of the call!) were very sympathetic, but stated the obvious - "In the future, you shouldn't leave your stuff in your car."  Of course, in hindsight, I would never.  My plans for the day included riding into the city to attend the Giants game with friends (too bad they lost), heading back over to Oakland to meet a teacher friend for a curriculum planning session - for which I needed my work bag, and tucking my well thought out plans for the upcoming week safely into my work bag in time for Monday.  Instead, when we arrived in Oakland after the game, we found an empty truck.

I can't change it, so I have to get over the loss and move on.  Still, the sour feeling I am left with - that I have lost three weeks worth of data, will have to cram even more assessments down my poor students' throats in less time, and worst of all - I have to tell my students on Monday that their science data that was recorded in their journals is gone.  They, as I am tonight, will be devastated.  Sadly, I don't think many of them will be surprised.  Are times that hard these days that thieves are going after binders and curriculum books?  I'll go to bed tonight trying my damndest to not feel defeated.  I can't help but wonder - how do my thieves feel about their day of damage and destruction?  My truck window and interior can be repaired, but I can never truly get back all of the UNPAID hours of preparation and diagnostic work I've put in to ensure that my students receive the quality education they deserve.

Anyone seen a black and white canvas bag chalk full of student data and teaching materials???

MsOaklandTeacher