"Those Schools"

I work at one of "those schools." You know "the ones" I mean. It's a school that when I tell people (teachers or not) where I work the response is usually "Oh, sorry to hear that" or "Man, I bet that's no fun" or some other sentiment along those lines. In fact, I've spent my entire teaching career in "those schools." My daughters have gone to "the best schools" in our district due to where we live and I'm telling you right now I am almost certain I wouldn't be able to work in any one of them day in and day out. I absolutely love working at "one of those schools!" Yes, many of my students' families fall below the poverty line. And yes, many of our students' parents didn't read to them much (if at all) when they were little. And yes, there is a large portion of our student population that struggle to read because not only is English not their first language, but they aren't literate in their native language either. Fights happen here (as in all schools), we fight the daily battle of sagging pants and too-short shorts (with students and their parents who don't think it's a big deal), students cuss at me because I ask them to wear their IDs or walk on the right side of the hallway and the list goes on and on. 

BUT, I also get to be part of a safe, consistent and caring part of our students' lives. Yes, they know I'm going to be there every day "bugging" them to follow the rules, but at the same when I'm gone they notice - if only because they were able to slip through my little section of the hallway without following expectations. At the beginning of the year there were a number of students that were excited that I remembered them from middle school, were soon grumpy that I remembered them and still held high expectations of them but we've now fallen back into the comfortable groove...they usually follow expectations but when they don't they don't get upset with me because they know I'm consistent. A number of my former middle school students have had babies in the years since I had them in class and but told me that they're working hard to finish school AND be a good parent because they remember that I showed them that it can be done by sharing with them my own personal experiences. 

So really what I'm trying to get at is that I feel sorry for those that don't see my job a desirable. I'm sad that not everyone gets to see kids overcome adversity the way I do. They'll never know the joy of having a student that is currently homeless walk into school every day to learn. A few weeks ago I was able to connect with a student that is currently in foster care herself whose infant had been taken away from her by SRS. She now comes to see me every day with updates not only on her family situation, but also how her classes are going. So many people will never be able to see the joy in all the things that I get to experience every day and I am so lucky to be able to do so.

Facing Defeat

Recently I applied to be a Discovery Educator Guru and unfortunately I was not accepted. The list of those that were accepted is amazing and I'm certain they will represent the DEN well, but I am still disappointed that I was not accepted. And of course my wonderful husband gave me the pep talk that I shouldn't be too disappointed because I've gotten so many other things in my professional career - which is true. I got a teaching job pretty much right after graduating college, I was accepted into master teacher programs, I was offered my current position despite the fact that I didn't have the "preferred" master's degree, I've presented at several conferences, and I've been able to represent the DEN in a number of other ways. 
Still, this one hit me hard and I had to work to push myself through it. I had to tell myself that only five were accepted and those that were accepted were clearly more experienced and qualified than I am. That I need to keep doing what I am doing as it does make a difference to a number of people. In the end what really helped me to push past that disappointment is my children, especially my fourteen year old. I had told her how excited I was about the possibility of becoming a DEN guru and she knew that I had not been accepted. I knew that I had to accept this defeat gracefully not only for myself, but also as an example to my girls. I feel it is important that they see me being a strong person working to improve the system of education in any way that I can. In that process there will be defeats, and I feel that those need to be seen as learning opportunities and that if I can show that to my children I am actually benefiting from that defeat.


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