Friday, March 10, 2000
This week has literally flown by and Spring Break is rapidly approaching. The students took another round of testing this week and are pretty much tested out but it took up two days of class time. I took my classes on an in-school field trip and took them all around the school to notice things. They asked the security guards questions like, 'Why do you always just sit there?' and 'Why don't you ever do anything?' They asked the PE coach why he did not remove some rusty playground equipment from the field. They asked the AP why kids have terrible food in the cafeteria. It was a blast. The kids saw used tampons, condoms and what one student called, 'a dime bag that you put pot in for the big blunts' on the school grounds. We went to the auditorium and students saw things on the seat like, 'if you sit here you is gay,' 'fuck yo mama' and 'Shitsville sucks.' One student was literally terrified when I told her we were going in the auditorium because she knew that there were rats and huge mice that ran around in there and she was afraid of them. The sign outside of our school was rusty, the fence had big gaping holes in it and the kids claimed the school resembled a prison. Finally, the students reported a phone company van parked across the street during the entire tour of the school noting that the man inside never got out. Some one in the group told me that it wasn't really the phone company, but probably the FBI or CIA. I told them that it was a distinct possibility, and they should just blow his cover if they thought he was a fed. On the count of three, the kids yelled out 'FBI' and the van drove off. When I came back to class I noticed a book on the floor about criminal justice. It pictured a police officer pointing a gun at a suspect and another officer searching the suspect. A student had scratched out the title and wrote, 'Know your place and assume the position' and scribbled the gun shooting bullets at the suspects ass. Moreover, the student had listed his own name as the author. Pretty bright kid. During my planning period I saw a security guard who told me that a little boy asked her to get the janitor. When she asked why, the boy told her that someone had 'pooped in his drawers in the bathroom and now his drawers were on the floor.' Only at Shitsville.

Monday, March 13, 2000
Oh the joy of Monday mornings. As I drove up to school, there was a sign on the school proclaiming it 'free shot day.' I ducked for cover immediately anticipating the worst. To my surprise, an immunization vehicle was located on the premises promising a free vaccination to any student who needed it. What a relief. I was in my class for about three minutes when a student informed me that she had not been able to complete her homework over the weekend. She told me that her aunt had been raped and beaten my a man who jumped out of the bushes and yelled, 'die bitch!' over and over again while beating her. Exasperated, I ended up asking the student what I could do to help her. She then proceeded to tell me all about her life and what her mama says and what her whole world is about. She went on and on until finally she stopped and said, 'I'm glad we talked, but I wish your classes had more of this.' So when she came to class, we talked more about what was going on in the kids personal lives. Meanwhile, this girl who insisted on having a dialogue with me was now no longer paying attention and talking to all of her friends instead about what Ricky did to Tawanna or something like that. Teenagers; what can you really do? Anyway, as it turned out, more of the kids wanted to share their stories. One child told me that he never talks in class because he has 'issues going on in his life.' You better believe this kid has issues - he is just discovering that he likes boys better than he likes girls and is having a hard time reconciling this. Then another spoke up and told me that their problem is that when they get home their 'auntie be on the phone talking about other peoples' biz.' No wonder this girl comes to school and gossips all day long. Finally, the last child spoke and referred to himself by stating, 'this nigger don't play.' I asked him if he thought he was a nigger and he replied, 'Not really, but that's just how it be.'

Tuesday, March 14, 2000
13 days left til vacation and 58 working days til summer. I can smell it already. I asked the principal today if I could chaperone a field trip to the fair. He told me that it would be a punishment for me to chaperone such a trip. So I told him, 'Go ahead and punish me.' He laughed. He had to laugh, because after the faculty meeting this morning, he had little humor in his life, so I gave him a break. As usual, the faculty meeting was a total waste of time. They talk about the same old shit over and over and over again, yet basically provide lip service to the policies they intend on initiating. This morning the 'sermon' was about how teachers are in an unusual position to determine whether a student will be in the same grade next year. The principal actually encouraged us to find a way to pass the students, even if they have not demonstrated the basic competencies. In his words, 'it's the same child that you are going to have next year if you flunk him this year.' He later added, 'those of you who have a number of students failing ought to check yourself and your policies.' Sheeeeeiiiiitttttt. My grading policy HAS to be the MOST GENEROUS at the school and I still have about 50 kids failing cause they don't give a rats ass about anything. I can't even begin to tell you what a hypocrite the principal is for saying what he said, but then again, this guy is a total zero as a leader. So I had my first mini encounter with the Porcupine in a while. I asked her about a child's progress who was in my class. This child writes so poorly that even the special ed teacher couldn't figure out what she was writing. So when I asked The Woman who Rides a Broom to Work, she told me, 'oh THAT child….well…she is getting some tutoring this week.' And I am thinking, like, fuck! You really don't give a fucking shit do you? This child needs a fuck of a lot more than tutoring, and something just short of a lobotomy. But The Bucktoothed Varmit reverted to her usual do nothing mode and fumbled again. However, I did have one of those great teaching moments today when I was telling students about the Due Process Clause in the 14th Amendment. Some kids were actually digging it and begging me for more. Well, I guess if I reach a few I'm doing alright. I also played some basketball for an hour and half during my 'planning time' with some of my students. When I do this, they look at me very differently and see me as more of a human being than their teacher.