Bitch.

Friday, September 10, 2010

It’s my third week as a teacher. I teach 7th and 8th grade at a low-income school at one of the largest public school districts in the country. Many of my students are on the free lunch program.

It’s been a good morning. I was only called a bitch twice, but both times the kids were under the stress of learning about quotation marks. Honestly, I can sympathize--if you’ve never seen them before, they’re a little bewildering. Plus the example sentences were absurd.

“Would you like to go tubing this weekend after the clam bake?” asked Catherine.

Apparently they got Elle Woods to write the textbooks.

Anyway, one of the kids who called me a bitch apologized after class without being prompted, which was about as mind-blowing for me as quotation marks were for them.

“Sorry,” he said.

I just stood there.

“For calling you a bitch.” He clarified.

“Ah.”

I wish I’d had something better to say, but I didn’t. The thing is, even the roughest of these kids know when they’ve pushed it, and I know he felt bad about it. So shaking my finger and saying “And that’s the last time, mister!” would have probably undone any guilt he felt. I almost put a hand on his shoulder out of gratitude, but I opted out.

Another reason this morning was great was because I had a SuperSonic breakfast burrito before school, which, if you’ve never had one, is something you should invest in tomorrow morning or at your earliest convenience. Eggs, sausage, jalapeno slices, diced tomato, onions, and –take a deep breath—tater tots. The only not-so-great part was the tortilla, but other than that, the SuperSonic breakfast burrito is for the elite.

Anyway, I’m keeping this blog to remember my first year of teaching. I know it’s only going to get harder for a while, and I know that there will be days when I come home crying, and I know that there will be days when I want to write a dramatic farewell note and put my own head under a guillotine. But I want to start out on a good note. And today, that note is apologies and breakfast burritos.


Love,

Teach

37 comments:

  1. Hahaha, love it. Pioneer Woman blogged about those SuperSonic Burritos too... hmmm...

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  2. I have been reading you blog and love it, just love it. But I think you meant the only "proletariat" part of your burrito was the tortilla, bourgeois means elite.

    Just FYI, otherwise I think your hilarious

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  3. I have now read every one of your blog entries. :( Now I guess I will look at the writings of "psycho teachers." :)?

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  4. I had a student tell me I was a bitch in a paper he accidentally printed that I saw when I corrected his paper. I circled the Mrs. and wrote "BTW I'm not married and a bitch is a female dog in heat and is a reference for sexual desires I think you need to see the counselor if you are having these fantasies about me it is quite inappropriate" I then e-mailed his mother showing her his "work for the day" and asking her to please explain the importance of respecting women as I'm sure she would be disappointed to hear about his actions in class

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  5. I just found your blog, and I love it. This is my first year teaching, and I'm at a majority low-socioeconomic school as well. We have two weeks of school left. This makes me wish I would have kept a written record of my year. Everyday after school for the first three months, I cried. One school year later, I am so thankful I persevered and witnessed the progress made by my students. Thank you for sharing!

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  8. I somehow find myself writing this after spending the last two hours pouring over your blog. Apparently, even though you click on the year to read, in my case I chose 2016, it still let me keep going. I couldn't stop. I currently just graduated with a degree in agricultural education and I am looking for a teaching position. Let me just say, you have floored me. I sit here in awe from your realness and ability to inject humor into this crazy profession we find ourselves in. Thank you so much, you have a new subscriber.

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