How have I not already learned that teaching = NOTHING going according to plan?

So Wednesday night I was having a bit of anxiety over Thursday's observation with my principal.  My nervousness was a little irrational since all of my observations last year went really great, and my principal and I get along really well.  But the observation was scheduled DIRECTLY following a fire drill, and honestly any miniscule change in routine tends to throw this group off...so what with the scenarios playing in my head of what reentering the classroom post fired drill COULD have been like, I was a little uneasy...

Miss Teacher's Imaginary Classroom of Chaos 

(aka various situations I predicted happening)

Terrible Possibility A: We go outside for the drill and I lose a child (I have one who can become a "runner" when emotional, which is pretty much most of the time).  I get back in, start teaching, only for Principal to inquire, "Um, where's ______??"

Terrible Possibility B: We go outside and my kids will not stand quietly (not too much of a stretch, as last year's fire drills frequently resulted in my temporary transformation into Miss Viola Swamp).  I end up having to yell so much that by the time we get back in we are back in the classroom, NO ONE is in any mood for writing.

Terrible Possibility C: The fire drill goes decently, but a 5 minute glimpse of the "outer world" sends my students into such a "How many minutes til school is OVER?!?" frenzy that the writing lesson is a train wreck.

No, none of these happened.  Although none require ANY stretch of the imagination with my group of kiddos (don't get me wrong, I love them.  But honestly, sometimes...).  What did happen?

Unexpected Possibility D:  Principal didn't show up.  That's right, didn't show up...

Here's the scene in Miss Teacher's Fifth Grade Thursday afternoon...
I have miraculously managed to get the kiddos to behave during the fire drill (okay, bribery was involved.  I admit it...), not lost anyone, and settled them quietly on the carpet with their writing journals.  *Glances at the clock* 15 minutes after 1 and no principal yet.  Hmmmm  *stalls for time* "Well boys & girls, take a minute to flip through your writing journal and reread some of your work..."  (kids flip through, this occupies them all of 20 seconds)

"Ummm, now let's have some studetns share a favorite piece of writing they've written this year."  This is actually very effective.  It kills about 20 minutes.  *Glances at clock* 1:40.  Principal is very late.  I think about starting my lesson for the sake of not wasting my entire writing block, but realize that he may not be showing up, and if that's the case, like hell am I teaching this lesson and then planning ANOTHER lesson for him to see, including writing up a 2 page lesson plan plus a 2 page "pre-observation plan" detailing the lesson and learning standards...

"Hmm...how about we read a chapter of Wayside School is Falling Down?"  *starts reading*  After 1 chapter I look at the clock.  Nope, still no principal, and still time to kill before our intervention block at 2.  "Let's read another chapter..."  Phone rings.  My student "receptionist" for the week answers it, and sure enough, looks up to say, "Miss Teacher, it's Mister Principal."  Sure enough, he isn't coming.

He was very nice about it, and I understood, things come up.  But with how far behind my students are to begin with, it's heartbreaking to waste that much instructional time!  Don't misunderstand me--I am a FIRM believer in packing every moment of the school day with meaningful activities, and normally I would NEVER waste that kind of time.  However, as long as there was a chance he was still going to show up, I didn't want to switch gears too much into a different lesson when the kids were shockingly settled, then have to reel them back in.  Oh well. :) Just another day of last minutes changes of plan!!  And no big deal when it gets down to it...