“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
Elron is moving.
DammitshitsonofabitchI'mpissedoff. WhydoesitalwayshappenRIGHTwhenIactuallystarttoget
somewherewiththesefreakin'kids????
OK, now I feel better.
So Elron tells me this today. Mind you, his mom ended up in the hospital with some pretty serious issues. And apparently there was a shooting outside their apartment. And all kinds of unpleasantness that you have to deal with in that area. Mom told me that they would be moving away from this as soon as she could get them away. So I suspected this was coming. That still doesn't make it FAIR.
Now the poor kid has to go to another school in another town with another teacher who will probably NOT give him the kind of understanding that he needs to be successful. And the MOST frustrating part is that I can't tell you how many times this kind of thing has happened before. I pour my heart into teaching these kids and then their parents, for whatever reason (some are just rent hopping to avoid paying the next month, some are trying to avoid being shot, some are trying to avoid abusive relationships and just disappear...) take them away from a place where they are actually getting some structure and safety.
It just makes me so ANGRY. Not just because of this one kid, but because this has happened so many times in my 6+ years of teaching. And it's one of the main reasons I've got to get out of this environment. I can't do the kind of good for these kids that I want to do when, just when I've started to make some progress, the kid up and leaves for the next low-rent motel. (Oh, but because they were enrolled at our school as of October 1st, their failing WASL scores count toward OUR school. Don't get me started on THAT one.)
UGH. I love teaching. I love the look on a kid's face when she/he has that AHA! moment, I love the chance to get that kid that no one else likes to smile at you every single day (and actually turn in homework), I love actually getting kids to THINK and REASON and DEDUCE and ANALYZE... But I'm really tired of having to fight so hard for it. I really admire teachers who are able to work in buildings like mine (and worse - because there are so many worse situations I could be in) for their entire careers.
I'm tired. I'm going to go to bed. Wake me when somebody figures out how to make parents more accountable for their own kids - their lives AND their education.
"If I ran a school, I'd give the average grade to the ones who gave me all the right answers, for being good parrots. I'd give the top grades to those who made a lot of mistakes and told me about them, and then told me what they learned from them."
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1 comment:
Don't be so hard on yourself. I know that kid, whatever road he will take, will remember you as the one who actually did make a difference in his life, he will remember the things you taught him, the time you spent with him and the patience you had with him. That is why you continue to do what you do!!
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