This is my 17th year teaching, I can't believe the time has gone so quickly. BTW, please forgive my spelling, I'm not using Spell Check, I'm tired ---just got in from class. This Masters business is tough work after you've taught all day. Sorry, I digress.
When I first started teaching, a friend of mine told that it would get tougher every year. I skouffed at that, what did I know I was fresh and ready to set the world on fire, save those kids and enlighten the world! You know the drill. Then I got into the classroom for real. Yeah, it wasn't easy going, but it's nothing to compare with today. I have no idea where these parents come off with the idea that we are suppose to take their child's BS and theirs too. But, then on the other hand if you watch some of the young mothers out there walking with their 3 year olds and calling the child everything except the name it was leagally given you start to get some idea. The mothers really don't know what to do with the children. Think about it. This child had this baby because she wasn't listening to her own mother.....she was going to show her mother that she was grown and could handle her own business.....NOT!
Now the young mother's child has reached school age, well first of all did mommy have all the re-natal care that she was suppose to have or did she just go in and give birth? Next, she has just found out that what you let Pookie do at age 2 is not so cute at 5 and even you are beging to have difficulty curbbing this behavior. The worst part is she doesn't even have the courage to ask for help, so the child grow up to be a monster, but mommy is going to back everything the child does, because " I teach my child what to do". Yeah, right.
Then there are the times when you call mommy in for a conference, cause Pookie, really name Shazzamie ( I want her to be different);well, she sure is. Mom walks in wearing a skirt short enough and tight enough to belong to someone a lot younger and smaller than she is. Well you're right she and Shazzamie share each other clothes. Are you now wondering should you even continue with this conference? But you charge on in there anyway. Oh did I forget that Mommy is ranting and raving about she wants to see that so and so teacher that is giving her darling a hard time, who does that woman think she is. Mommy turns the corner calling your name only to stop suddenly upon seeing this black face, hair in locks and dressed in jeans. You should have seen the smoke rising from her putting on the breaks! It was priceless, because she thought I was a white teacher.
Yeah, the children are more difficult the come to us now with a ton of issues.....more than Jet or the Daily News. However, is spite of the grief that they may give us, for some we are the most consistant thing in their lives.
You are just going to have take out those mouse balls, put your books under wraps and tell the critters why this is happening. Break out the Tough Love and hand it out in liberal doses.
Yesterday I tried to stop a kid from trying to kick out the widow of a classroom door. The boy turned around and told me to mind my own F*#@king business. Well folks, before I knew it I replied in kind. Yes, I admit I was wrong to sink to his level, but I had had enough of this kind of attitudes from the stuents( it's just small few, but enough is enough). Then he called me a F.....ing B...... I told him yep, you're right. Well, I felt bad about the whole incident and prayed about the matter.....Oh, did I forget to say that prayer is a necessary reqirement...oh, okay. Any away as I was leaving my room this morning who should I see in the hall, but this same child and his grandmother. His official teacher introduced us and I went for broke telling her about the intire incident. Yes, I did include the fact that when he spoke out of turn at me I replied in kind. The child stated that he was angry and another student in the classroom, hence the attempted kicking of the door. I told him, I didn't care about the other student, it was his treatment of me that concerned me at the moment. I got an apology, but I know this kid is going to go off the wall again. Why? because his family has not dealt with his blatant homosexuality.
Anybody that says our job is easy and we don't need those two months off, is welcome to try my gig any day of the week. I'll even spot a period or two. Long live the teachers of the inner city!
I Understand, I teach in NYC
Yeah!! What she said!! 
Yes, I said it... I love working with criminals. It takes a lot of patience and stress management (and I mean a lot), but just like teaching, somebody's gotta do it.
teacher points an gun at students
There is so much that we have to be accountable for, yet people are quick to say that we don't do our "job".
Hybrid Mode
