This conversation/story is just a small glimpse into the conversation that I get sucked into at least 1-2 times per week:
T, D, S in Anatomy class: (screaming and yelling about something or another) This shit is TOUGH! Miss, that shit is TOUGH!
Me: Ok ladies, we're very wound up. Let's take a 5-minute yoga-break in the hall.
(ladies go out in the hall to do yoga and come back 5 minutes later, slightly more calm).
T(as she walks toward her seat): you know what, miss? I'm a gangsta, and I say that this shit is TOUGH.
D and S: Yeah, Miss. We are GANGSTAs. And you're a gangsta too!
Me: Oh I know. I don't tell this to many people, but when I was born, I could not even be in the nursery with the other babies because I am such a gangsta.
TDS: Oh damn, Miss! THAT SHIT IS TOUGH!!
Me: Yes. You know what else is tough? The Living Environment Regents. Let's work on getting ready for that right now.
S: Miss, you are such a G.
D and T: Yeah Miss, you're a real gangsta.
S: Miss, I'm going to get a tattoo that says "Walters G-baby" right here (pointing to her chest/shoulder area).
D and T: Yeah!! We all gonna get Walters G-baby tattoos for you, Miss!
Me: Please do not do anything that involves tattooing anything about me on your body. Leave your skin be.
Also, I am happy to report that 80% of my students who took the January Living Environment Regents passed! All of them had taken and failed the exam at least once before, so this was substantial progress! Hooray for kids learning and being on track to graduate! :)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Snowy Day
Despite wearing my PJs inside out and backwards last night and sleeping with my fingers, arms, toes, and legs crossed, Mr. Bloomberg decided that the weather was not severe enough for us to have a snow day today. My disappointment at 5am was overwhelming, and I could not manage to get up and start my routine until 5:45.
Truth be told, the weather was not ridiculous, although the commute was challenging. My street was not plowed when I left for school, and some of the side streets around our building were untouched at 6:45. I saw many a car spinning its tires in the snow drifts along street sides. Lucky for me, I take the lovely subway to school and thus, did not have to do any window-brushing or tire-spinning of my own.
I arrived at school to find out that 50% of our staff had called in sick for today, in large part because the traffic and driving conditions were horrendous. Since only 1 of the "sick" people had managed to get a substitute for the day, we were in a panic about being very short-staffed.
Our students were even less interested in trucking through the snow than the teachers. Attendance for the day: a whopping 26%. (Ladies and gentlemen of NYC, your tax dollars were hard at work today....). As a result, we were on a modified schedule and I did not actually teach any of my real classes and instead spent the day hanging out with students, watching movies via streaming Netflix, and sending kids home through early dismissal. Today was less about me being a teacher and more about being a glorified babysitter. On the upside, however, was the chance to get to hang out with and talk with kids on a more personal, relaxed basis. And to watch their photo-shoot as we took pictures of the "Student Snowstorm Survivors" in recognition of their attendance in school. All in all, it was a strange, and funny, day on the job.
I wonder, in looking at our attendance record, if the Mayor wants to continue his reasoning for not calling off school by saying that he has to keep the kids in school so parents can get to work. Clearly, 74% of the parents today were not so concerned about their kids being in school.
Quote of the day, from an 11th grade girl: "Miss, I ain't tryin to be racist, but why is it that all you white girl teachers be wearing skirts and tights to school in the winter? Ain't ya'll legs mad cold?"
Response, from one of her friends: "It's called professionalism."
Truth be told, the weather was not ridiculous, although the commute was challenging. My street was not plowed when I left for school, and some of the side streets around our building were untouched at 6:45. I saw many a car spinning its tires in the snow drifts along street sides. Lucky for me, I take the lovely subway to school and thus, did not have to do any window-brushing or tire-spinning of my own.
I arrived at school to find out that 50% of our staff had called in sick for today, in large part because the traffic and driving conditions were horrendous. Since only 1 of the "sick" people had managed to get a substitute for the day, we were in a panic about being very short-staffed.
Our students were even less interested in trucking through the snow than the teachers. Attendance for the day: a whopping 26%. (Ladies and gentlemen of NYC, your tax dollars were hard at work today....). As a result, we were on a modified schedule and I did not actually teach any of my real classes and instead spent the day hanging out with students, watching movies via streaming Netflix, and sending kids home through early dismissal. Today was less about me being a teacher and more about being a glorified babysitter. On the upside, however, was the chance to get to hang out with and talk with kids on a more personal, relaxed basis. And to watch their photo-shoot as we took pictures of the "Student Snowstorm Survivors" in recognition of their attendance in school. All in all, it was a strange, and funny, day on the job.
I wonder, in looking at our attendance record, if the Mayor wants to continue his reasoning for not calling off school by saying that he has to keep the kids in school so parents can get to work. Clearly, 74% of the parents today were not so concerned about their kids being in school.
Quote of the day, from an 11th grade girl: "Miss, I ain't tryin to be racist, but why is it that all you white girl teachers be wearing skirts and tights to school in the winter? Ain't ya'll legs mad cold?"
Response, from one of her friends: "It's called professionalism."
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