School Days

I am a substitute teacher at the school my wife teaches first grade. Actually, to be accurate, I am tutoring 3rd thru 6th graders in math. This school is in the "hood" and the students just don't care about anything. They are rude, disrespectful and completely unmotivated to learn. The last couple of days, one of the sixth grade teachers has been ill and the school has called for a sub.

On Thursday the sub lost control of the class (which believe me is not a hard thing to do with these kids) and the principal asked me to go in and help out. On Friday, there was another sub, and they didn't even give him the chance to lose control, I was asked to take him to the classroom and stay with him. These kids are unbelievable... you give them work to do and they stare out you. I couldn't get one kid to work, everytime I looked at him he was looking at me. Finally I asked him why he was staring at me and he said "Iuhno" (I think that means I don't know). He looked down at his paper, so I focused my attention on another student. I looked back at the first kid and he was staring at me again! So finally I said, you know I'd like to think you're staring at me because I'm so good looking that you can't keep your eyes off of me, but somehow I don't think that's it. That produced a lot of groans for the kids and a teacher who had just walked in was trying desperately to stifle a laugh. The kid finally looked down at his paper and did his work.

Friday was pretty much like Thursday. We had an assembly on "bullying" which took up about an hour and a half. I got a break.

Neither sub has any intention of coming back to this school. Who can blame them? May next week I can get back to tutoring and try to help some kids pass.

I just don't understand these kids. They live in a poor neighborhood and we are trying to provide them with and opportunity to learn, get a decent education, and someday move away from that neighborhood into one where gunshots are the background noise. They either don't see and understand the opportunity being presented to them, or they just don't care. I think it's the latter. It makes me very sad to see this, but what else can we do? The teachers all try their hardest, but the kids don't. No one can make them understand that they are just dooming themselves to repeat the cycle and stay in the environment I believe they really want to get out of. Maybe they are just afraid to try... but how do we, as their teachers, give them the courage to try? I'm open to suggestions on this, if anyone has one.

Well, I'll keep trying to get through to them and hopefully I will touch some of them who want a better life. I just hope those who succeed come back and tell me. It would be nice to know if succeeded or have just been wasting my time. No matter what, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I sleep better at night that way.

Beloved Trixie

Shortly before midnight, our beloved little chihuahua, Trixie, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. She was a wonderful, lovable dog. She was quiet and never gave us any problems. All she ever gave was love. She had been having some health issues, but seemed to have overcome them. We thought we had a couple more years with her and her new found health.

We don't really know how old she was, she was about 9 years old when she came into our lives, and we had her for about 8 or 9 years. In all of the years we had her, I don't remember her getting into anything she wasn't supposed to, or barking/yapping, as chihuahuas have a reputation of doing. She just sat there quietly next to whomever was on the couch. Trixie made no demands on our time, when we had time for her, she was pleased, when we didn't, she sat there quietly.

Trixie had been a very abused and "broken" dog. We don't know what her previous owner had done to her, but it must have be horrific. Trixie never really recovered from the abuse. When I would reach down to pick her up or pet her, she would cower, fearful that she was going to be hit. She walked with her tail between her legs. It angers me to think of the things someone had done to that precious little dog. We gave her a loving home and I pray that her years with us made up for her earlier years. I hope she knew how much we loved her and wanted her.
I find myself fighting back tears of grief, and my heart is heavy with sorrow, but I have so many good memories to look back on with Trixie, that I will comfort in those memories and know she will always be with me. Trixie came quietly and unexpectedly into our lives, and she left us just as quietly and unexpectedly.

Rest in peace my little one. You are over the Rainbow Bridge now and you are healed. You can see and hear and you have all of your teeth. No one is going to hurt you there. Be free little one, run and play, enjoy yourself. We will always love you, my precious and beloved Trixie.

The Holidays are over...

Well, the holidays are over now. We had a wonderful time. My son, who is in the army, and his wife came home for Christmas. We were fortunate enough to have them at our house of Christmas dinner and New Year Day dinner. It was a nice family affair with my wife, daughter, son and daughter-in-law there.

My son and daughter-in-law are leaving for their home on Saturday and yesterday was the last time we'll see them until next Christmas. I must say, I'm kind of depressed today. I'll find something to do to keep my mind off of the fact that they're leaving.

The good news is that in about a year and a half he'll be stationed about 4 hours from us, so we'll get to see him more often.