When the bell rings after 4th period, it’s time for lunch.
I need to bring my brimming tray from the staffroom to the class I’m eating with today. A whirlwind of activity threatens my careful ascent up the stairs: kids chase each other to the sinks to wash their hands, while others wheel carts laden with food to their classrooms. They’ve listened obediently to their teachers all morning, but lunchtime is their domain. The soup splashes precariously in its bowl as I maneuver around them all.