Stories from the job....

• Met a young woman in a freshman class who asked me if I had children. I replied with no but may adopt some day. She asked if I would adopt her. I laughed it off and told her I would want a younger child so I could show them about life and take them places. She said, I have not been many places or done many things. I chuckled and said good try and she laughed too. I then listened to her conversations with her friends. She lives with her brother because she asked him to please file for custody of her because her mother was not caring for her and she knew her older brother would. He did. My heart broke.
• Talked to a senior today. I overheard him say something about working two jobs. I was flabbergasted and asked him about it. He said his Mother wanted to go back to school to be a nurse so he works two jobs so she wont have to work as much and go to school. He gets up and works at a manufacturing facility from 4-6 AM then goes to school from 7 AM to 2 PM. He then heads to a fast food joint to work from 3-10. Then goes home, does his homework and goes to bed. My heart broke.
• Talked to another senior today. She is very active in school. Her part-time job ended with the business closing. She is worried because her parents are down on their luck and she feels she needs to work to help them with the rent. My heart broke.
• Talked to a junior the other day. Her goal is to become an RN. She wants to make enough money to get her mother and herself out of public housing. She wants to care for her Mom who is on disability and not have her depend on the government to care for her for everything and provide for everything. My heart broke.

I never had all these pressures. I did start working early but that was for my WANTS. My parents had enough to provide for my NEEDS but struggled. I knew if I WANTED something I needed to buy it. No pressures to provide for the family. I was blessed.

Now the head turning story.....

I had a computer class. I am harder on computer and business classes because I try to leave a good reputation because this is my area of teaching. One student decided he wanted to surf the net and not do his work on the computer. I know this teacher, I know what she expects. I was not going to look bad for him playing and not watching what he is doing. I was on his back. After the 4th warning, he still decided to play. There were others playing too and I was reprimanding them too but he was the worst. I warned him, if I come back over here again and you are on the Internet, I am going to log you off then you can explain to your teacher why you have not completed anything. He looked at me and said " F*&% OFF". Then he spelled it for me too. I told him thanks for the spelling now I know exactly how to spell it on the referral form. He was shocked I wrote him up. See, I actually don't hear the cussing anymore when they are talking to each other but when you say it at me and in my face, oh yeah, I hear it. I had the form taken to the proper principal. I went back around the room where he was still on the Internet. I told him , " Hey B, I am really disappointed you did that. You have always been ok when I have had you in classes." That turned into that it was my fault for riding his back about the Internet and his work. MY FAULT.... Ok, MY FAULT that you have gone against authority and ignored your assignment to play on the Internet.  His teacher returned early from her field trip and he was nailed not only by me, but her and now has to deal with administration with his language. Time to grow up and be accountable for your own actions.
The thing of it is , I am pretty laid back. As long as you are attempting your work. I don't care what you do as long as it is legal, orderly and quiet. There are some teachers that I know so I have to be firm because I know their expectations. This was one of them. Oh and after 4 warnings, wouldn't you take the hint that I am watching you. I think he knows I am not playing next time.

Another situation, a Mother came in to reinstate her child from suspension. She was mad because no one could meet with her for another 30 minutes. It was written in her letter that they could not talk to her until after a certain time but she came before that time anyways. She was hostile and mad that no one could meet with her. Well the administrators are in the hallways, doing their morning duties. There is a reason they gave the woman a certain time. She was raged and left with her child. She said she has to work for a living and her son only did something stupid. Well your son did enough to get suspended and why not be mad at him for the suspension. He is the reason you had to come in there, not administration. Oh, and what moral did it give him for you to get mad and leave with him. It is just another day that he is not in class learning. Use your brain, Mom.

Ohhh, the things I hear.