What Is That Look?
In today’s new-run of For Better or For Worse, we get to Panel #4 and Elly Patterson says, “I forgot! Teachers have a professional development day tomorrow.” This is in reference to Mike’s statement that like Elly, he has tomorrow off (from school). Elly’s face has her eyelids halfway down her eyes showing her pupils just below her eyelids, her eyebrows raised up her head, and a triangle mouth with the points going down. All this tells me is that Elly is unhappy about what she is saying. She is rolling her eyes at Mike’s statement. The question then is why?
John has told Elly she is taking a day off, which is pretty much every day for nonworking Elly. So, it must mean that John plans to take care of the kids while Elly rests. Elly has discovered that she will not have the house free of Michael, but that just means John will be taking care of Michael. No big deal. Of course, with John Patterson, Elly taking a day off may only mean that he is giving her permission to ignore her children and stay in bed, while he goes off to work. Considering John’s character, that would not be unusual.
Assuming that John is staying home, is Elly perturbed because she wishes Michael were not going to be staying home, so she could get more rest? Or is Elly perturbed by the idea that teachers have a professional development day?
The two are both related, so she could be perturbed by both. However, the first time I saw the strip, what immediately came into my head was that Elly Patterson is perturbed at the teachers. Is she perturbed because they are doing the profesional development day when she is sick, or is she perturbed teachers would even have a professional development day? This goes to Lynn’s sense of a work ethic. If Elly is willing to go to her class while sick, shouldn’t the teachers be willing to go to the classroom every day?
In the school system that my kids attend, the teachers also have professional development days. It is on those days when I wonder how it is that parents, where both parents work, can operate. My daughter has a half day of school on Wednesday, every Wednesday. This has been a practice of the school system since she was in kindergarten. My son in high school has half-days on a consecutive Tuesday and a Wednesday once a month. When I was growing up, the day was called Teacher Work Day, not Professional Development Day, even though my mom (a school teacher) often went to large convocations on those days, where she would hear a lecture on how to improve as a teacher.
It’s difficult to tell where Lynn Johnston stands on the subject. She has not been afraid to mock certain professions in the past, like police officers and lawyers, for things about their profession she does not like. Plus Lynn has said over and over in interviews that the secret to success is to show up on time. The use of the whole phrase “professional development day” and Elly’s eye roll may be the only clues we get as to Lynn’s opinion.
John has told Elly she is taking a day off, which is pretty much every day for nonworking Elly. So, it must mean that John plans to take care of the kids while Elly rests. Elly has discovered that she will not have the house free of Michael, but that just means John will be taking care of Michael. No big deal. Of course, with John Patterson, Elly taking a day off may only mean that he is giving her permission to ignore her children and stay in bed, while he goes off to work. Considering John’s character, that would not be unusual.
Assuming that John is staying home, is Elly perturbed because she wishes Michael were not going to be staying home, so she could get more rest? Or is Elly perturbed by the idea that teachers have a professional development day?
The two are both related, so she could be perturbed by both. However, the first time I saw the strip, what immediately came into my head was that Elly Patterson is perturbed at the teachers. Is she perturbed because they are doing the profesional development day when she is sick, or is she perturbed teachers would even have a professional development day? This goes to Lynn’s sense of a work ethic. If Elly is willing to go to her class while sick, shouldn’t the teachers be willing to go to the classroom every day?
In the school system that my kids attend, the teachers also have professional development days. It is on those days when I wonder how it is that parents, where both parents work, can operate. My daughter has a half day of school on Wednesday, every Wednesday. This has been a practice of the school system since she was in kindergarten. My son in high school has half-days on a consecutive Tuesday and a Wednesday once a month. When I was growing up, the day was called Teacher Work Day, not Professional Development Day, even though my mom (a school teacher) often went to large convocations on those days, where she would hear a lecture on how to improve as a teacher.
It’s difficult to tell where Lynn Johnston stands on the subject. She has not been afraid to mock certain professions in the past, like police officers and lawyers, for things about their profession she does not like. Plus Lynn has said over and over in interviews that the secret to success is to show up on time. The use of the whole phrase “professional development day” and Elly’s eye roll may be the only clues we get as to Lynn’s opinion.
posted by howard at 10:30 PM
7 Comments:
No, it isn't at all hard to see why it is that Elly is unhappy that teachers don't do their job and keep her from having to interact with Mike. Like a lot of people, she doesn't realize that they have to attend boring lectures about the latest techniques; she assumes that their time is spent goofing off while she runs after the kids. This is something Lynn believes because she thinks that a teacher who isn't teaching her kids all the time is my verification word: an ingrate.
I seriously doubt John is staying home to care for Elly and the kids. Hey, Elly, I'll bet if you asked her, Anne would be happy to care for Mike and Liz while you convalesce. But then you couldn't crank up the martyr factor, could you?
April_Patterson,
Hey, Elly, I'll bet if you asked her, Anne would be happy to care for Mike and Liz while you convalesce. But then you couldn't crank up the martyr factor, could you?
No, she could not; as I keep saying, Elly doesn't want her problems to be solved. She has to be martyred or else no one will take her seriously. That's because she's whacked.
DreadedCandiru2,
No, it isn't at all hard to see why it is that Elly is unhappy that teachers don't do their job and keep her from having to interact with Mike.
That could very well be the motivation. After all, it works pretty well in condemning John Patterson often enough.
aprilp_katje,
I seriously doubt John is staying home to care for Elly and the kids. Hey, Elly, I'll bet if you asked her, Anne would be happy to care for Mike and Liz while you convalesce. But then you couldn't crank up the martyr factor, could you?
You have a point there. Elly sick at home taking care of both kids and mourning the loss of her beloved Creative Writing course would be a high point of martyrdom. It would be hard for Lynn Johnston to resist such temptation.
You have a point there. Elly sick at home taking care of both kids and mourning the loss of her beloved Creative Writing course would be a high point of martyrdom. It would be hard for Lynn Johnston to resist such temptation.
That is EXACTLY what I expect we shall see.
Anonymous,
Alas it is too predictable. Maybe Lynn Johnston can add a house fire or Farley leaving a puddle to add to the martyrdom. Lynn already did Elly sick and taking care of the kids just last January.
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