Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Blahs...

I've been a slacker blogger lately...mostly because I'm just so darn irritated with school that I don't really want to think about anything when I come home. I have had the two worst weeks. Last week I had to deal with a "cheating ring" and parents blamed ME for it. They were mad that I was punishing their sweet babies who copied or allowed others to copy. I was so frustrated by Friday afternoon. This week I've dealt with another issue - a rude and disrespectful bunch of children, but one in particular who is going to make me lose my mind. I only have 6 school days left before Spring Break and it's a good thing. I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have that week coming up. When we come back we only have 34 days left with children and 36 days total. I cannot be over soon enough.

I have missed my 8th Street friends SO much this year. I have made a few buddies at school, but only for school hours. I still feel a LOT like an outsider unfortunately. Of all three years this one has definitely been the hardest. I keep wondering what else I would want to do or what else I could do. The answer has not come yet, unfortunately. I wish I was a person who immensely liked and got a lot out of teaching, but I'm not. I lose patience with the kids very easily because their concern is what they're going to do once they're out of school for the day. I'm sure I had the same mentality in school, but I would NEVER have acted the way some of these kids act.

On top of all of that, I feel like there is, unfortunately, a change in morals occuring. I've noticed lately that a lot of kids, even ones who are extremely religious and very conservative, are not afraid to "show it all off." I talked to some other teachers about this yesterday. We spend so much time telling kids to pull up their pants and girls to pull up their shirts that it's frightening. I can't believe that teenagers are so willing to sex themselves up for school (not all of them surprise me, but a lot do!) and I CERTAINLY can't believe that their mamas and daddies ALLOW them to. But apparently that's what is happening. I can't imagine my parents okay-ing my showing my rear end and boobs off when I was in 9th grade. I spent more time in high school trying to hide inside of my clothes than I did ever worrying about anything else. I'm not sure what the answer for that issue is. I wouldn't feel quite so surprised if I taught seniors who were getting ready to leave for college, but I teach 14 and 15 year olds!

I know this post is just chalk-full of cyncism today but I guess you'll know now where I'm coming from and why I've been absent lately. I feel completely and utterly at a loss with my job. If summer doesn't come soon I'm going to run screaming for the hills.

Those of you in other counties - have you gotten your contracts yet?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Quit your job and help me write the next New York Times Best Seller! I was so obsessed with Twilight, it made me want to write a novel all my own! Right now I'm rereading Northanger Abbey for my Jane Austen class and I forgot how funny and enchanting it is!