Adults who make mistakes...VOLUME 1

My name is Ms. G.  And I have made a mistake.

I am an adult and I am fully capable of admitting when I have made a mistake. I know my limitations.

Let's get real. I know that deep inside I am a lazy procrastinating, bum. I would trade in this job in a heartbeat to live on an beach somewhere. Far away from people's children.

I am in a Master's program at the University of Florida. I have a 4.0 average which means that people think I am really smart. Really, I am just the queen of the last minute paper.  I am studying Curriculum and Instruction.  My concentration is reading.  Thus meaning by the time this program ends, I will be able to explain to parents with some degree of certainty to my parents the reason why their children cannot read. I will also be able to come up with amazing ways to assist these non-reading children.

I will be a reading goddess.

Sadly, at this moment I am nothing more than a lowly working grad student.

Another teacher who is also a grad student with me asked me today if I read the syllabus. She reminded me that class started on Monday and that our first paper was due Tuesday (SHIT). The blank stare I gave her confirmed that not only had I not read the syllabus, but had not purchased the books either (SHIIIIIIIIIT). So now $95 later I will have the books by Sunday so that I can read these two chapters and prepare this stupid paper. There is only one problem here: I DON'T WANNA.

I really just want to sit and watch mindless TV when I get home from a day here.  I want to be lazy. But sadly, that is just not a part of my world right now.

My classmate/co-worker says in her most chipper uber excited white girl voice ( because after all, she is an uber excited white girl) that she is so proud of us because if we can get through this grueling summer we will only have TWO more years until we get this degree.

TWO YEARS!!!! (SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!)

I could have punched her.

I'll do it tomorrow. Or maybe not.

 After all, I am both lazy and a procrastinator.

Don't like job or school today. UGGH!

The Secret Life of the American Teacher

I hate those movies where there is this one White teacher that comes into this urban school, makes a few changes and is regarded as a hero. I think I hate these movies because I see African American teachers do this on a daily basis.  No movies for them. Hispanic teachers who teach way out of the box and no movie for them. I often wonder if I went to an affluent surburban white school and taught, maybe showed the kids how to rap the 50 states, would I get a movie?  Maybe not. But until then I have to contend with foolishness every day.

I have a student who has an explosive temper. It is normally triggered when he is told that he cannot have/do/get/ something.  He is WAAAAAAYYYYYY belowgrade level and I have sent every message home, assignment, conference form, all of it to no avail. But this joker has been told that he will not go on a field trip.

So now mom is mad. 

Field trips are real SERIOUS around these parts.

 She calls this morning to argue about him going on the trip.  I told herthat it was a behavior issue and that since the trip was out of town,  Ifelt that it would be an issue of him going.   For one, who wants to be 70
miles from school with a kid that is hitting, kicking and screaming? Second, what if he hurts someone, himself, or some property while we areout?  Third, y'all know I hate to be embarassed.  How embarassed (as mygrandma would say) would I be in front of those "White folk" if he is acting the fool while we are at the golf course? She says that she did not think that it was "fair that her baby be left out of all the field trips". I tried to use that s*&^ they tell us to use in the workshops and tell her that I understood and if she wanted she could come to the school and we could discuss it with the AP and figure something out.  She did not want to do that. She said that we weren't going to do anything anyway. So she was calling the school board to let them know that I would not let him go on this trip. I told her that she was welcome to go along and he could go and she still said no. Started screaming about how we did not do anything for her child and said that she would not come to meet with me but was heading downtown.  I told her if she felt that was the best option that she should do it. I asked her to meet again. She hollered something I really did not understand in the phone, and I hung up.

I told all of this to the principal and VP. And low and behold an hour later she and her  friend, lover, "sister" are in the Principal's office to discuss this. Amazing how they can get here for this, but not for any other conference. Nice. I am told to bring a premission slip to the office. He will be allowed to go on the trip with the Auntie in tow. (GTFOH!)

Well, here is where I am right now.  I have told my grade level I got the money for this trip.  They need to determine how their students will go. Since one of the other teachers and this mom are such good buddies, I am asking that he is moved to his room. I am taking just my class to the IMAX theater.  I may rent a partybus the the 24 of them to ride on on the way down. And no, not the bus with the stripper pole.

 Not once have we discussed that this joker can't read or count to 20.  Oh yeah, we will do that on Monday when I have to show all my data and come up with a daily behavior plan that I need to keep up with everyday to show mom.

WTF is wrong with this picture?


I am just done.  And, no, right now I do NOT love my job! 

UPDATE: No, she never sent the money for the trip so of course he did not go. All that for nothing.