Metaphor

Yesterday was my first day of new teacher orientation. It was dumb. Teachers seem to have a big soft spot for sentimental stuff, so mixed in with the practical information were inspirational stories, poems about education, and get-to-know-you activities. I would have rather taken that time and used it to fix up my office.

One of the things we received yesterday was a new teacher's survival kit. It was a bag with a bunch of random stuff and a card to explain what they were for. For example, it had a string "to tie everything together," a pencil "to write your wrongs," a marble "for when you lose yours," a Hershey's kiss "for when you need some extra hugs and kisses," etc. The last line in the card was, "A jewel, because you're as precious to us as a precious stone." I looked through the bag until I found the "jewel." It was actually a piece of glass.

I think there's a metaphor here about how they value their employees, but I don't want to think about it.