Some Days are Better Than Others

Today wouldn't be considered my best day in the Baltimore City Public School System.

There were multiple fights in the sixth grade today. One involved punches, both thrown from the smallest boys in the sixth grade, who up until yesterday were best friends. I think both were suspended, but I'm not sure. Both came back up to my room to take a couple of tests, and then returned to the principals office. At any rate, the fight happened right before a guest was supposed to teach in my class, which made it look like I have stellar management skills.

Awesome.

To wrap up the day, my kids stole my ipod. I'm not sure what possessed them. The best part is they stole it while it was charging, and I'm sure they didn't have the brains to disconnect it, so all the music has been erased. When they got home today all they had was a beat-up pink ipod with nothing on it.

This is frustrating at so many levels. Sure, I'm out an ipod. It isn't cheap to replace. But I'm even more frustrated that they would steal it in the first place-from me. Not because I think I don't deserve to be stolen from, or that they should steal things from someone else at the school. But I think they must have forgotten that I am their biggest advocate at that school. They may do some dumb things, but if possible, I will do my best to defend them and help them. I'm frustrated because no one taught them stealing is wrong. I often become upset with my kids, but I have remind myself that in some cases they don't know any better. In a lot of cases there isn't someone at home teaching them right from wrong. For most of them, they spend much more time with me than they do either of their parents.

I'd like to think that most of them do know it's wrong to steal. Perhaps it's just that they have so little, and they want so much.

It's also frustrating that they don't understand how much I care about them. They have no idea how much time I spend working for them, hoping that something I do will make a difference for them. Even as fed up as I am with them today, I'll still spend all day tomorrow creating lesson plans that will (hopefully) help them pass the MSA and make them smarter all-around. I need to create progress reports, which will take hours, but my failing students need to know they're failing, so progress reports have to go out. And then I'll spend more time with those students one on one so that they won't fail.

I don't think most of them have any idea how little the school provides, and what materials in the classroom comes from me. Markers, books, paper, pencils, pens...you name it, it's mine. Up until today we even listened to music on occasion.

(The countdown to the MSA stands at 15 days....)