Friday, May 22, 2009

Just another manic weekday(s)

Mon - Right after lunch a 15 minute fight breaks out on the floor above mine.
Tue AM - Unannounced assembly to inform the students about the shooting of a graduating senior. Full recovery expected (but shot four times).
Tue PM - Boys locker room lit on fire. School is evacuated and students let out early.
Wed - Normal?
Thur - Ceiling tiles thrown everywhere. Food littered throughout the halls.
Fri - Gas leak in neighborhood. School is evacuated just before lunch. We're all sent to the homeless park across the street, where of course, two boys start to punch each other's lights out. When we are cleared to go back in the building half the student body runs away (home of course).

*** I always hesitate to post the hard facts about my job cause I worry readers will think "those kids." That is not my point at all. The problem is US. We have failed them. We, our society, our government -- sets them up for failure by never giving most of them a chance. We send them to schools built like prisons, refuse to upkeep the building, feed them total junk for lunch, refuse to spend money to incorporate technology into the "trashy-prison" buildings. I mean is it really too much to ask for ONE computer that my students can type their papers on or conduct some research with? And the list goes on and on.

Lighting the locker room on fire is a cry for help. And because we refuse to portray it that way the cycle continues and my students are never given the help they truly need.

I love them unconditionally.
The cycle of our society breaks my heart daily.

1 comment:

Heidi said...

Wow. It really is the saddest thing to watch the horrible cycle go on and on. I'm glad people like you stick it out and teach, even though sometimes I am sure it seems hopeless. YAY for only a month until a little break! Good luck! :)

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