Frustrated...

[Got Philk?]

I have to vent here. I am very frustrated with things right now. I am student teaching in my final semester in a school that is "inner city." Pardon my flippant use of the word, but even other Public Schools in the area call this school the "ghetto school."

Not that I care about that...but what has frustrated me is the feeling of helplessness. Let me give you some examples.

- Today, the brightest girl in our class comes in looking either sick, or exhausted, or both. It was both. She threw up in the morning and slept in the nurses office all morning and afternoon. So she missed the entire day of school. She had to stay because nobody is home to take care of her. That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is when she wakes up, she says to me, "I know why I am sick. I stayed up at my mom's sister's birthday party until 4:30am. I only got 3 hours of sleep." And who knows what they ate...

- A cute little boy who wants to do what is right misses a day of school. I ask him the next day if he was sick. He says no...my mom didn't want to drive me to school.

-Another boy comes in and says his dad is getting a belly because of the juice he drinks. He also says that his mom and sister cry because they are scared.

- Another boy comes in and sleeps all morning. He tells me that his mom let him stay up all night and play video games.

- One girl comes in and says, "My mom says she ain't going to that thing(parent teacher conferences) so she threw the form away."

There's more, but what makes me even more frustrated is that none of this is the child's fault. God bless the mom's who come in and show they care about their children.

I have taught in private schools and public schools that have a different population, but I can't help it. I have to teach in these schools. Some nights though, I need to go home and sit in a room with no lights and no sound....and not move.

Thanks for letting me vent.

PK

 

[Angela Harlem]

You can't do a great deal about the children who don't have the good parents, but you can be the teacher of these kids. You can be the teacher they remember.

 

[Lila64]

 

[Thora]

You can't do a great deal about the children who don't have the good parents, but you can be the teacher of these kids. You can be the teacher they remember.

I completely agree. It's teachers like you that make a difference in their lives, because you truly care about them. We need more teachers like you. I know it must be tough, but keep going. You're definitely making a difference, even though you may not see it yet.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Phil, that is my every day existence at work. Every day. I know exactly what you're talking about. I work at a high school and it is the same scene. pm me if you need to vent some more.

 

[JCOSTER]

That's horrible Phil. Many for you. Its really a shame that the parents not only gave up on having their kids getting an education but gave up on their own kids. No one said its easy being a parent.

 

[BonosBaby12]

You are going to be one of those teachers who affects so many lives in a positive way Phil

Horrible how some parents just really don't give a damn about their child's education or even them for that matter

 

[Night & Day]

I don't know what to say.
I just wish you were one of my teachers when I was going through some really hardcore shit as a fucked up teen...it was so hard.

 

[last unicorn]

You care about your students, that's the most important thing for a teacher. I'm sure you can have a positive impact on these kids' lives, do whatever you can do within your role as a teacher.

I don't teach children, but I work in adult school and often have teacher trainings.
I know a lot of teachers who tell me stories like these and they all say it's hard for them to see what kids are often going through with their families.

And there are a lot of (dumb) people around who say that being a teacher is the best job you can have because of all these holidays.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Oh poor Philk. I too teach in an inner city school and some days you just wanna
a) shoot parents in the head
b) give up
c) grab a kid/parent/administrator by the shoulders and yell "Don't you realize you're ruining everything!?!?!?!?!?!?"

But you gotta remember those moments when students thank you for being there for them, or come to school on time because they don't want to miss your class or come to school despite the fact that mom was too hung over to drive. (I had a kid walk 7 miles to school last week for this very reason)

Hang in there. Find someone to vent to and share a drink or a work out or a cup of coffee with who does what you do and will understand and have stories that top yours!

 

[Galeongirl]

It's great to see that you care about these children so much, that's the attitude they need!
So sad how some parents act. The majority of child problems are actually caused by the parent. I remember when Angela Harlem showed us some of the causes she could choose for her psychology class, all three were problems with the kid's behaviour. And all three were caused by the behaviour of the parents. Wether it's spoiling them, not giving them clear rules or being paradoxal, it doesn't matter. Parents are supposed to raise their kid properly and teach them values and morals. IMO when a parent can't do that, they dont' deserve the kid.

People like you can make a difference Phil! Don't ever stop caring! When the children see that you do care about them, they'll trust you. You might be able to give them hope for their own future!

 

[MsPurrl]

Bless you for caring, Phil. Hopefully when you graduate, you'll get a teaching job somewhere else.

 

[Got Philk?]

Well, that's the thing. I don't want to teach somewhere else. I love this setting.


Today, I realized why a little bit. Things are not easy for these kids. In fact, many of the kids hate school. I can tell. But I taught a unit on plants for science. Science is only taught because I needed to for my student teaching. But I looked through the final assessment and some of their work during and so many actually could answer the questions correctly and confidently. That doesn't happen much. Plus, their observation were hilarious.

Today was a day I should remember. This is why I teach these kids.

 

[MsPurrl]

Well, that's the thing. I don't want to teach somewhere else. I love this setting.


Today, I realized why a little bit. Things are not easy for these kids. In fact, many of the kids hate school. I can tell. But I taught a unit on plants for science. Science is only taught because I needed to for my student teaching. But I looked through the final assessment and some of their work during and so many actually could answer the questions correctly and confidently. That doesn't happen much. Plus, their observation were hilarious.

Today was a day I should remember. This is why I teach these kids.

Well, then--hug that thought to your chest. You *are* making a difference in those kids' lives!

 

[Liesje]

I don't know how he does it. He works in the school across from my elementary school, in the neighborhood where I grew up. By the time I was 11 I was soooo over that and we moved thank God. Now when he comes home and tells me these stories I want to ring these parents by their necks. This is why I do dogs, not kids...

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Phil we are proud of ya here! Keep doing what ur doing and don't ever let up. Frustrating I know but the rewards outweigh all the frustrations IMO.

HANG IN THERE!

 

[Night & Day]

This is why I do dogs, not kids...

 

[Marien]

Phil, I work in a high school quite similar to what you are describing and I understand what you feel. In fact, I was a headmistress there for some years and I was sometimes involved with social workers, police and so on..., I could tell stories worth to appear in a novel or a film, but sadly they were true, real stories.
So, first of all, if you want to talk with someone who will understand you, you can pm me. The second thing I want to tell you is this: please, take care of yourself, even if helping all these kids seems a great way to self-fulfillment, I can tell you all this involvement takes its wage, for me it was in the form of stress, anguish, panic attacks, last September I resigned the post and started teaching full time again, but in days like today I feel I haven't learnt enough, this very morning I tried to help some students in my class to pass my subject and I received very bad words from them, they put me in the verge of tears, I know they are teenagers, but I tend to forget their families and their models for life are far more important to them than school or anything else. However, when I have the visit from one of them after finishing school telling me they're at university or they've got a good job and that they remember me, I feel my interest was worth nevertheless.

 

[Laura M]

I tried to help some students in my class to pass my subject and I received very bad words from them

I get the bad words from the parents. I wish they would just back off sometimes. I constantly feel like I'm not doing anything right. I'm in a good school and am quite lucky in some ways but because the parents pay so much to send their children there and the children are used to having servants/chauffeurs some of them have the impression their teachers are just there to do all their work for them. Despite school policy stating we mark one piece of work and grade the next (I usually grade each piece anyway) I had a parent demanding I stay behind after school today to grade the piece of work I "only" gave her son comments/targets for.

I think you're doing a great job, Phil. I can't imagine how hard it is for you/those kids.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Maybe we should have a teachers' support thread! s for all us teachers!!!

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Well, that's the thing. I don't want to teach somewhere else. I love this setting.


Today, I realized why a little bit. Things are not easy for these kids. In fact, many of the kids hate school. I can tell. But I taught a unit on plants for science. Science is only taught because I needed to for my student teaching. But I looked through the final assessment and some of their work during and so many actually could answer the questions correctly and confidently. That doesn't happen much. Plus, their observation were hilarious.

Today was a day I should remember. This is why I teach these kids.

Pfffft. But HOW WILL THIS HELP THEM ON NCLB TESTS?!?!?! HMMMMMM??











I kid b/c I understand. I had a senior remember something we went over sophomore year last week and I wanted to weep tears of joy. (it was the reasons the industrial revolution began in Great Britain. He knew it word for word how we went over it. it was a happy day.

 

[Got Philk?]

I know. Hence why I only had 20 minutes on Thursday'sand Friday's to teach about plants...yup. 40 minutes a week on science.

Somehow, they remember facts about plants better than they remember that "every sentence starts with a capital."

But...my friends...that is why I am leaving your child behind.

 

[BoMac]

Phil, keep doing what you're doing. You're making a positive difference in these kids' lives!


On a side note, I love how on the very same page, Liesje has a thread titled, "Four inches" and Phil has a thread titled, "Frustrated." And I know that the subjects of both threads are serious, but I can't help but laugh. Is it just me?

 

[Got Philk?]

On a side note, I love how on the very same page, Liesje has a thread titled, "Four inches" and Phil has a thread titled, "Frustrated." And I know that the subjects of both threads are serious, but I can't help but laugh. Is it just me?

That made me

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

But...my friends...that is why I am leaving your child behind.

A few of my co-workers and I have decided we get to leave one child behind a year. I think I'm leaving the one that called me a motherfucker behind this year.

lmao at "Frustrated" and "4 Inches"

 

[Liesje]

A few of my co-workers and I have decided we get to leave one child behind a year. I think I'm leaving the one that called me a motherfucker behind this year.

I would have slapped that kid's ear with a ruler. See what I mean about kids v. dogs?

 

[achtung_girl]

I'm not good with kids. I often help my little sister, she's 15, with her homeworks or I study with her for tests. Most of time I'm very angry and loud, cause she cannot concentrate for half an hour, she's sitting like 1m away from table with her head on it and scribbling sth on the paper and not listenting what I already said 10 times...yeah sometimes I really want to throw the fucking textbook at her head LOL!
And I can't imagine having this x20 or so...
I have respect for you got philk !

 

[Mr. Green Eyes]

You are helping pave the way to the future with your teaching Phil!!

 

[zuropa_fit]

But...my friends...that is why I am leaving your child behind.

A few of my co-workers and I have decided we get to leave one child behind a year. I think I'm leaving the one that called me a motherfucker behind this year.

Love it. I'm stealing it.
*starts thinking about who gets left behind this year* Maybe the kid that's 25 minutes late to my class 4 days a week.