After a long battle with Spring Break and FCAT week, I am back. Teaching has had me so exhausted that I have gone straight home and gotten into my comfy bed for the last month or so. Let me tell you something folks, budget cuts that we thought were bad last year are going to be twice as bad next year.
As teachers, we have been told that we should begin stocking up on school supplies now. There is no room in the county budget for supplies for the children. No pencils. No copy paper for homework packets. Just nothing. Relying on my parents is a joke. Quite honestly unless I am telling them that their child will not pass first grade, I tend not to see them. I have even had a parent this year that blocked my phone number because I was calling her about too many discipline problems with her child. And according to her, she was aware of the problem, so I did not have to keep calling. I must deal with foolishness all day (especially from this one child) with no parental support. But, if I choke this chick, I will be off to jail in a heartbeat.
And orange is soooooo not my color. Plus, I look a hot mess in jumpsuits.
Anyway it was such a beautiful day today, that the first grade teachers decided to give the students a treat and give them some extended outdoor time. The teachers sat under the gazebo and of course the conversation went to education and all the thing we have to tolerate. The prevailing question is: We teach from the same scope and sequence from the same text books and we still have a problem with students underachieving. Why?
I personally believe that their minds are constantly in the wrong place. Their environment is consumes with adults who are still making the wrong choices. The most likely will become adults who make the wrong choices. There is little home support and that makes our job rough. We must teach all the subject and in addition teach the students about life, manners, to be responsible citizens. We must teach all the things that they should be learning at home.
As we sat under the gazebo at the school we noticed that the kids have taken to writing graffiti. The usual foul language was written. F*ck you. B*tch. You know the drill. Then all of a sudden we all started to laugh. One child had written "Pimpin Wholes".
"Wholes?" One teacher said.
" I think they meant, Hoes'" I laughed.
We all had a good laugh off that one. As much work as we do, we can't even teach them to sound out their cuss words correctly.
Boy, will I be glad when summer starts!!! (which, just for your information is in 28 days, 6 hours and 15 minutes)
Yep...I still love my job!
