For those of you who don't know, Drumright is a boom town. Oil was hit in 1912, and the town was born. The high school I teach at opened its doors in 1919! Recently, our local historical society posted a picture of the school from 1919 on their facebook page. I decided to take my own picture, just to compare.
Here's my school, soon after it was opened. My classroom is the closest classroom to you on the second floor on your left.
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| Drumright High School - 1919 Image Courtesy Drumright Historical Society Museum |
And, here's what my school looks like now.
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| Drumright High School - 2014 |
The North addition was added to make the school handicap accessible. It houses an elevator and bathrooms on each floor.
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| Drumright High School - 2014 |
I had one of those experiences today. I was sitting at my desk, grading papers. It was late, and I was getting ready to head home. The history teacher from across the hall came over to tell me something. I stood up, and my eyes were drawn to a stain on the carpet. Except, it wasn't a stain. It was something that was alive. It was a BAT!!!
Now, I've known that my school had bats since I started working here. When the counselor gave me keys to my room, she warned me to beware of the bats that lived in the school. Twenty-one months after hearing about the bats for the first time, I finally saw one. In my classroom!
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| A Bat In My Classroom |
Thankfully, the history teacher stepped into action. He got a broom, and used it to poke the bat. Nothing happened, though. It just continued laying there. I know the bat isn't dead, because it moves its head every once in a while. I think that it may be sick and/or dying. Why else wouldn't it move when it got poked by a broom? I also know that I do not want to get bit and have to go get a rabies shot!
I left my door open. We'll see if the bat is still there in the morning. I'm hoping that he will have disappeared by morning. If not, I'll definitely be covering him with a bucket or trash can until the custodian or anybody but me can come and transport it from my classroom.
I just don't understand why the bat had to pick my room. The light was on when it came in. Don't bats like the dark? As I wrote on facebook, my teacher preparation courses didn't teach me how to deal with a scenario like this. Our faculty handbook doesn't have a procedure for bat removal. I'm in uncharted territory here. Oh, the things they don't teach you in college...
Don't worry. I'll keep you updated on the bat saga! We'll have to see what tomorrow brings...