What a day...

[Veronica]

Oh it most definitely does! Let's face it: it's HARD to be a good parent- it's much easier to be a friend. Too bad we have a big portion of this generation of selfish, spoiled kids coming up who don't know boundaries.

I have to shut my mouth...

That's it!!!! I have 29 students. 24 of them seriously think, "It's all about me." Forget about what anyone else needs. MEMEMEMEME!!!!!!!



Veronica

[sbctwin]

When my twin sis taught in East TX, she had a student throw a desk at her. She was scared of the kid. The parents came in and blamed her. She only wanted the classroom to be quiet so she could teach and this upstart didn't want to listen. She told him to go down to the principle's office. On his way out, he thew the desk at her. My sis had to stand on a platform to see above the podium to teach. The bully was on the football team...go figure. I am glad she is out of teaching...

[Tri Girl]

Scary, sbctwin. I'm waiting for the day. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet this year. I had a kid come at me one time, but he tripped. heee heee

And they said the 80's was the ME decade (or the ME generation). They 'aint seen nothin' yet.

The old Whitney Houston song "I believe the children are our future..." I'm scared of the future. I believe in most of them, but for a good part- I'm scared of what they'll be like as adults. Very scared.

[Tri Girl]

Last week I had FU B!tch written on my classroom window. I would have been more impressed if they had written it backward so I could read it from inside.

Veronica

Wow! That's crazy. I told my teammates: I KNOW I'm a B, I just don't need a bratty 11 year old pointing that out. I guess your window writer isn't quite clever enough to write it backwards. What a pity.
I'm just glad I get to school before this group so they don't know what car I drive. They have a 1 in 70 shot of getting my car, but I'm afraid if they knew which one was mine I'd have some damage to it. And there'd be no remorse whatsoever from them.

Only 4 more months... then we'll have two months to regain our sanity.
4 more months...

[Veronica]

I'm trying very hard to stay sane through this. Working out after work and yoga before work really help.

I'm just sick of waking up at 2 AM worried about how to reach these little brats. And staying awake until the alarm goes off at 4. I've had enough of being the only one who worries about their future.

And I'm tired of the enabling. "Oh the parents are having a hard time. They're just trying to make it through each day. Things at home are really tough." When are they going to learn be responsible, both the kids and the parents?

Veronica

[tulip]

Why do you do it?

[crazycanuck]

V..I too ask..Why do you put up with that crap? Í can't stand most school kids as they don't seem to have respect & are just wrapped in bubble paper. UGH.

Is there a teacher's college in California & can you get a position training new teachers?

This is why some people should be banned from having children. That and require a licence to have them.

Rant over..

[malkin]

Dang.

I work with hard kids, but that's what our whole program is for.
It sounds like you need more support.

[Tri Girl]

Yeah, V- why do you do it? A colleague told me the other day that she's tired of working harder than them (in the sense that she constantly is trying to keep up with their missing/late work and making sure they have what they need to bring home- when they don't care themselves to better their grades).

For me, this is the first year in 11 years that I've really questioned my career choice. I've looked into other fields, but to teach in college around here I need a doctorate (I don't even have a Masters), and going back to school at this stage in life to find a new career just isn't an option. I just need to find a different avenue in the school system. Librarian? Title 1 tutor? Deep down I still really love working with kids and helping them- I just don't know that a regular classroom teacher is for me anymore. I welcome any ideas of what I could possibly do with a teaching degree- besides teach.

Kids are just really different in the last 8 years or so. I don't know why.

I'll stop posting now. I'm probably just sounding like a jaded, bitter person who's seen too much and is disillusioned about what her career has become (but if the kettle's black...)

[Veronica]

There are times when I love my job. They are getting fewer. I love the conversations that you can have with kids this age. They are on the cusp of learning how to think and problem solve. They can be so creative. I love seeing their faces light up when they "get it." I love the curriculum. I enjoy planning out what I'm going to teach and how to best engage each group of students.

In the last 4 years the demographics at my school have really changed. We have a lot more section 8 families. I grew up on welfare and the issue isn't that they're poor. It's the lack of personal responsibility, the sense of entitlement. I think a lot of families are trying to move out of some gangish areas in CA, but they aren't changing their outlook on life and they are bringing some of that garbage with them.

In this particular class I have ten kids with some serious home or behavior issues. It's a very messed up group. You want to be compassionate, but at the same time, there are lines that they just can't cross.

Veronica

[solobiker]

What a tough situation. I don't envy you with having to deal with all of that C***. Things are just getting bad all over and I agree with you on the entitlement aspect. I have seen it in my line of work as well. Are you counting down the days until summer break.

[crazycanuck]

Trigirl-tis ok to vent. I have no idea what else you could do with a teaching degree ? What about in your state education office? Can you do more training (yes, ok $$$ ) or eventually return to school? Would you consider moving overseas for a different perspective.

V & TG-I admire you for sticking with the kids. I know i'd jump out a window or go do the Appalaichan trail (Bib track here in WA...)

[derailed]

To the teachers: Hang in there!

I went to school with a *bad bunch*, and defensive parents. We had a kid bring a gun to school, lots of drug problems, pregnancies. We had entitlement problems, we had parents calling teachers to raise heck. We had cars vandalised, kids giving more than lip, and all types of drama.

Some of those kids aren't with us anymore. Others have grown up to turn their lives around. I run into people who made teachers' and students' lives complete nightmares.

Some of these horrid place holders aren't worth the time of day, I agree. However, you will be surprised and delighted at which ones turn things around and make a positive stamp on the world around them. You may be more surprised at how many of them remember you as the best thing that ever happened to them.

Respect is so far outside these kids' experience that they think it means fear. They won't show it, so they try to force others to feel it.

All my best wishes of strength and fortitude to you.

[Tuckervill]

I am sorry that happened to you. I was talking with a friend today about how things have changed. When I was young and in ES or HS nothing like that would have ever happened and if it did It definately would not have been tolerated. Gosh the worst that happened would have been a fist fight. Makes me nervous for what else could happen.

Seriously? You never saw a kid in school make a gun with his fingers and pretend to shoot someone?

I think what has changed is that we've grown up and it's our turn to say the same things our elders said about us.

Karen

[Veronica]

Seriously? You never saw a kid in school make a gun with his fingers and pretend to shoot someone?

I think what has changed is that we've grown up and it's our turn to say the same things our elders said about us.

Karen

Pretending to shoot your teacher because you are POed at her is not the same thing. Using the f word as you discuss the incident with the principal is not the same thing.

I would love to have you come spend a day with these kids. It is NOT the same. Many children in our schools are being raised without boundaries and they cross lines that should not be crossed.

Children have changed and parenting has changed.


Veronica