The Darker Side of the City

I saw this bus on my way home from work today:

1 gun + 1 crime

Add $1,000 to your reward.

And check out that gun!

Well- considering that "A Playstation Costs More Than a Chopper" , I suppose that is an appropriate weapon to use as an icon. (When my student was killed a year and a half ago- an AK was the "instrument of death.")

On a better note:

This teacher at my school has really been dragging me down lately. We have duty together in the morning, and, although she's been teaching for 30 years, she's always been self-contained with autistic kids and, for her six years at Truman, has never had a class of regular students. The budget crisis has led to restructuring, and this year she was placed in an ELA position, still special ed students but not the type she's used to working with. She was so disgruntled and so SHOCKED by everything- like how many of our kids are literally years behind where they're supposed to be skill-wise in school. I was appalled and bewildered by her shock. Like- where have you been? Why do you think our school has been in corrective action for the past 2 years?

And then she was so adamantly negative. She even said yesterday, "You know, I want to work with children who were born broken, not ones that somebody else broke."

I could have hit her or burst into tears right there. I held it together enough not to say anything at all. I wanted to scream, "They don't deserve help too?! Isn't that your job as a teacher? To try to help and make life a little bit better for EVERY kid?!"

It has been getting so deeply stuck like nettles under my skin I've been dreading seeing her every day.

Well- today the gods came through. Two new TFAs somehow found their way into the budget, and one of them is taking this Nancy Naysayer's position. So she can go back to what she likes and feels comfortable doing and we have someone who is well-aware of the adversities they're about to be up against- and who has an incredible amount of support (and pressure) to work to get these kids where they need to be.

I made sure to give the new TFAs my info and a few immediate insider tips on feeling overwhelmed and work/life balance. (Not that I've been feeling like the epitome of that lately... but that's another story. And I'm still doing a million times better than that first year.) They were incredibly appreciative and I am excited to have some new, motivated blood around.

Man can the faculty lounge be toxic.