Again, thanks to everyone who's sent good karma, letters to the editor, letters to the mayor, letters to the CEO of schools, enquired at schools about jobs, etc. It's very much appreciated. I've moved through the stages of grief to acceptance/resignation. Now I'm moving into uncomfortable new feelings.
Today was one of those days where I thought to myself: WHY, exactly, do I WANT to stay at this school? It was a mess from the get-go. Kids running wild in the halls, faculty out "sick" and administrators invisible. I spent more time calling parents than I did teaching today. One little bastard told me he was gonna "snuff" me if I didn't get out his face. I stayed in his face and he called me a cracker ass muthafucka and I pushed him physically to the door and pushed him out into the hallway. "Don't put your hands on me! I'ma get my father up here to kick your ass!" he said, and I said "I'm dying to meet your father. I can't wait to tell him that you have the lowest grade I've ever given anyone in 11.5 years as a teacher." He has a ZERO. He's been at the Book three weeks and I've never seen him write his name on a piece of paper. I called his mother and told her verbatim what he said. I also said if he continued to threaten me that we were going to have a MAJOR problem. "I don't lose my temper," I told her. "But today I came close."
Then I saw another boy whose parents I'd called earlier getting hit in the eye by his mother. She was using her fist and literally pounding him over and over in the stairwell next to the Main Office. "Why I got to hear from all your teachers every day?" she was screaming. Now I've got to make a report to the social worker. If I rat him AND his mom out in one day I will be King Snitch!
What a joke. The school is already descending into chaos and they've not moved any faculty out yet. Can't imagine what will happen if all 14 of us go.
2 comments:
If I had to guess, I would say that the kids are reacting to the threat of betrayal, even if they don't know that themselves.
The kids are very sensitive to adult mood/morale. Morale is very low right now in the building, and not merely amongst the transfer victims who are positionless and in limbo. The kids pick up on it I'm sure. They can sense a big change is coming, and are preparing to revolt in their own ways.
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