Right now I'm supposed to be doing a multitude of things...prepping for some interviews that I have to do tomorrow night, reading a packet for our team meeting, sleeping, cleaning my mess of an e-mail inbox, responding to the 78 e-mails that are sitting in there, nahhhhh....I probably won't do any of those things tonight.
I realize I haven't blogged in a long time, I've decided that my job is significantly less interesting now that I am not spending 8 hours a day with 25 five-year olds. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am responsible for supporting 31 teachers to ensure that their kids perform at a rigorous level, however, I don't have the same experiences with kiddos now that I did before, definitely not the same ones day in and out. However, I love my corps members and do enjoy this job. I've committed to one more school year in the Delta...to figure things out and actually feel successful in this job. After days like today though..sometimes I can't imagine leaving.
This story is not one that is a common occurrence, nor is it one that is designed to generate a positive reaction or engage in a few laughs. However, it's reality, the stark reality for my kids. If you have read my blog from the beginning, you'll remember my "little lovely" who caused me grey hair and multiple bruises from the number of chairs he threw during my first year of teaching. Well, he went to first grade, was put on appropriate medicine, was deathly afraid of his teacher and didn't cause major problems (or not that we heard about). When I go back now to visit, I am immensely proud of him. He'll be in line with the other 2nd graders waiting to go to the bathroom and will stare at me until I notice him and he'll wave shyly. He never wants to get out of line or make a scene, but he's the first one to run up and give me a hug when he has the opportunity. I'm so incredibly proud of him and tell him that each and every time I see him. He is working hard in school and is on a much different life path than he was two short years ago.
Today I got a phone call from a teacher at the school saying he "had news. But not good news." My little lovely had brought a gun to school yesterday. He's in 2nd grade. It burns me to no end that he even had access to it. I have no idea where it came from or what it was. Apparently he was showing someone during recess or DEAR (drop everything and read) time. Another student went and told the security guard on campus. He was immediately escorted off campus and taken home. No one found out about it until today, not even HIS teacher. The rumor is that they are trying to keep it covered up so he isn't expelled. I can't even believe it. What if something horrible would have happened. He is in the 2nd grade. He shouldn't even be exposed to something like this, much less be able to put his hands on it. I'm an equal combination of disgusted and mortified. Not to mention having a heavy heart. Nothing horrific happened, thank goodness. But what if it had happened to one of my kids. One of the kids I spent an entire school year with. Ugh, this shows me more and more the risk that we endanger children in our country to. Transformative change. Putting kids on a different life path. Instilling habits, mindsets, and actions that prove we are changing the lives of children, for the better. This is why I am in this job. This is why I am responsible for indirectly impacting 3,090 lives, for the better I can only hope.
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