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