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I had a very bad day at the end of which I felt completely demoralized.
Jonestown was in readiness for visitors. Around 12.00 o’clock, the parents of Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore (he is a Methodist minister) arrived for a few days’ stay.
In the morning I worked on my journal and did some class preparation.
I had lunch.
When I started my adult class I was asked if I could release the seniors when the visitors arrived as it is usual for them to be exercising in front of the pavilion area. I had intended to evaluate some more people as to knowledge of current events writing and reading ability but decided just to have class members read. We read a story in the school textbook. Several elderly women read very well. Among them was Nancy Clay, who, as I remembered couldn’t read a letter when she started in my class. (Dick Tropp says she probably once could read and forgot – then it came back to her.) She said she had been practicing at home. We were interrupted by the arrival of the visitors half way through the class and resumed ten minutes or so afterwards. I was held up for sometime answering questions on words I had written on the board and other matters.
I took my shower.
I put in a little more time on class preparation.
I took to class with me my clock and also a pillow as I thought I might have to go straight to the socialist teachers’ class after my high school classes.
The first period class was well behaved except that Billy was late and Kenny was said to be on the boat; I later found this was not true. We… [text indicated for insertion here was not found]
Liane Harris, who has been assigned to monitor the high school classes, was present at the beginning of the second period. They entered in a rowdy mood. Though I had come early and put material on the board, what we had prepared yesterday, some acted as if they had no idea what to do with it and wouldn’t give me a chance to explain. They were bored and insolent. While Liane was still there, I, very embarrassed, spoke indignantly of their attitude. Some, perhaps a majority, quietly tried to do the work, but the rest were uncooperative. I was very distressed, knowing the situation would be presented before Tropp and the teachers.
Returned my material to the school office and got my dinner plate. We had watermelon.
At teacher’s meeting Liane reported, in not too caustic terms, her impressions of my class. Tropp said they were testing to see who was going to control the class, a common situation here. When he faced the problem he shouted at them until they quieted down. Two students from Shirley’s class also took more of our time and we had to wait for Shirley, who takes care of toddlers in addition to school responsibilities.
I got away only at 7.00 and found that I had not even heard the announcement that there was a socialist teachers’ meeting at 6.30. I returned to the cottage and was barely able to make the socialism class on time.
Don Jackson took the first part of the class and I took the second.
I had not even thought there would be the extra socialism class this week because of the visitors. However, Bob Rankin informed me that he and I were to meet with those assigned to the extra class in the dining tent and from there to the first school tent. Some people attended, mostly adults, many seniors and some junior high students. We listened to the difficulties they had in learning the news and made suggestions. Someone, perhaps I, lost the list of those who were required to attend. Willie Malone and a few others attended who were not required to do so. We dismissed the class about 10.15.
When I got home I found I did not have either my clock or my pillow which I had taken with me in the afternoon. I felt sure I had forgotten both of them in the school tent and would have small chance of getting them back. I was very tired and also concerned about my disciplinary problem.
Read The Man Who Cried I Am but fell asleep and dropped the book. I went to bed about 12.30.