My friend and co-worker J.D. left for a job at district offices for almost twice the amount of money. I don't blame him...I mean twice??? As a result, I am now de facto head of the department. And I'm mad sick with power!!!!!!!!! MOOOHAAAA! MOOOOHAAAAA!
Over the summer, I plan on reorganizing the department and putting my thumbprint on it. I get to do things my way now. I really enjoyed working with J.D. but now it's my thang. I get to focus the department and standardize it the way that I've been wanting to. I'm going Qin Emperor style. Standardize and bury the scholars.... ok the first part not the second.
I'm also excited because now I'm going to start teaching Political Econ, American government and US history. It's on like Donkey Kong. I'm most excited for political economy because I love talking finance with the kids. Yes I'll be talking about the international global economy, but I also want to teach basic financial literacy to the kids. I was never taught basic financial literacy and had to learn it all by myself. I know for the most part that my students aren't taught it either as I've talked about it in class and they were just mystified. I firmly believe that being aware and taking control of your finances is a self-empowering political action. Understanding your own finances will also help you understand the world's finances. Investing your money in guns and not your education is going to royally fuck you...the parallels to the US go without saying.
I also think that teaching different classes will reinvigorate my pedagogy. I've gotten comfortable in my curriculum but now I'd like to try something else. More work...no accompanying raise! Gotta love it!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 02, 2008
Sad for my boy
WTF? When it rains it pours. My one kid. The one that wanted to join a gang and that I talked out of it. The one with a good heart but very little self control. He's been acting out again. He was talking shit to teachers and being disrespectful. We were going to suspend him, but I couldn't get a hold of his parents so that we could send him home. Then he started crying and saying that he wanted to talk to me. Since we were only testing right now I went into one of the therapist's room and talked to him while she took over the testing for me.
His dad has cancer. And his family is poor and won't be able to pay for any serious treatment. He's melting down and wants to say fuck it all to everything. 99.99% of the time that a kid is acting out it's because he is unhappy and there is something going. Kids don't want to be assholes and angry it's just that they don't know how to deal with their emotions. They haven't lived long enough to gain the discipline and self-awareness to control themselves. What a shitty break. His reaction is understandable, though not acceptable. It ain't right to take your shit out on others.
But he doesn't have the luxury of being able to melt down and fall apart. I told him that the last thing that his dad needs is to have to come up to the school and deal with his shit. Fuck it all is how children act. Unfortunately, he has to step up to the plate and start acting like a man. He needs to be strong for his family. Everyone is having to deal with this issue. Mom and sister don't need to have to see him fall apart while the dad is dying. He is forced to grow up faster than he wants to. I'm sad for him and sad for his family.
This situation once again highlights the problems with the American medical system. Truthfully, it's not a system. If you don't have the money, you don't have the care. And good hardworking people that are scraping by get left behind. It is shameful and disgraceful. In the richest country in the world, everyone should be taken care of. It's not like there isn't enough to go around.
No one should have to feel hopeless because they don't know how they are going to take care of their family members. It's hard enough to have to deal with cancer, you shouldn't have to deal with if you'll be able to pay for the treatment for cancer.
His dad has cancer. And his family is poor and won't be able to pay for any serious treatment. He's melting down and wants to say fuck it all to everything. 99.99% of the time that a kid is acting out it's because he is unhappy and there is something going. Kids don't want to be assholes and angry it's just that they don't know how to deal with their emotions. They haven't lived long enough to gain the discipline and self-awareness to control themselves. What a shitty break. His reaction is understandable, though not acceptable. It ain't right to take your shit out on others.
But he doesn't have the luxury of being able to melt down and fall apart. I told him that the last thing that his dad needs is to have to come up to the school and deal with his shit. Fuck it all is how children act. Unfortunately, he has to step up to the plate and start acting like a man. He needs to be strong for his family. Everyone is having to deal with this issue. Mom and sister don't need to have to see him fall apart while the dad is dying. He is forced to grow up faster than he wants to. I'm sad for him and sad for his family.
This situation once again highlights the problems with the American medical system. Truthfully, it's not a system. If you don't have the money, you don't have the care. And good hardworking people that are scraping by get left behind. It is shameful and disgraceful. In the richest country in the world, everyone should be taken care of. It's not like there isn't enough to go around.
No one should have to feel hopeless because they don't know how they are going to take care of their family members. It's hard enough to have to deal with cancer, you shouldn't have to deal with if you'll be able to pay for the treatment for cancer.
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