Day 22; Post 21: The Fish Bowl.

On Tuesdays I work at our second elementary campus. Since I'm only there once a week (and usually only for a half-day at that), I don't have an office there. Instead I have a fish bowl.

The building we are in went through renovations to make it more kid-friendly. Although it had been a school before we moved in, it was an "open school" with no walls. Not exactly the learning environment that best suited our students.

My "office" used to be an observation room -- a place where children would be put in with toys and whatnot and observed by teachers or psychologists or whatever. Thus, three of the walls of my "office" are actually one-way mirrors. This would allow me ultimate privacy in my office, and an ability to observe the children and their teachers as they transition through the halls.

Unfortunately for me, the one-way mirror is working the other way...meaning I cannot see out, but everyone can see in. It is UNCOMFORTABLE in there. I get kids knocking on the windows, but have no idea which direction to cast my teacher glare since I have no way of knowing where the child is knocking from. Also, I don't like seeing three different mirror images of myself all the time.

The only way I am able to see out is when the lights are off. Under those circumstances the one-way mirror flips and I am able to see out, but no one can see in. However, this poses a new dilemma in that when 5 year-olds are given a mirror, they cannot help but make faces into it. Therefore, instead of the faceless banging on my window, I get kids making faces at me not realizing they are being watched. Even worse, I get adults checking themselves out. I feel sort of guilty looking at people when I know they can't see me...it feels too voyeuristic for my taste. In the end, I opt for the lights on, knocking on window scenario.

I could get used to that...but the lights are on a not-so-sensitive motion sensor. So every once in a while, the lights go out and that is when I get the worst of both worlds; I get kids staring into the mirror making faces (or adults primping themselves) only to be startled when the lights come on and they catch me waving my limbs frantically in the middle of the room trying to get the lights back on.

Needess to say, I like being in my real office the other four days of the week.