Friday, October 24, 2008

The day of Oct. 23, 2008

In the course of the past year and a half, I've taught in the inner-city of the Bronx. Many stories will come from this experience (some as memories, some in real time). This is a "real time" story, as it just happened yesterday.

8:00am--Walked in. Broke up two fights in 5 minutes.

9:15am--walked by the principals office and there sits a boy whom I marked absent. . .I didn't say anything, I just changed his status on the attendance sheet.

9:16am--I turned the corner and a group of teachers are laughing and said the following: "Yo, yo!!!! Mista Noel......your student (the one I just saw in the office) SLAPPED THE SHIT out of an eight grada!" I walked away strangely proud of my 6th grade tough guy.

9:45--Waquira walks in...(she normally arrives about this time--in full splendor showing off clothes that are two sizes to small, and weaves that about two-million hairdos too old. She sits down and tells me to Fuck off.

10:00--The students are all engaged in the lesson. Waquira, "I gotta fart".....nobody pays attention. She farts. The students run away. I spend the next 10 minutes herding children back to their seats.

11:59--Students come back from lunch and tell me another fight broke out.

12:45--it's time for Gym, but I dont' let them go, because they've been shit-heads all week. Instead they sit quietly for 15 minutes. If one person says one word, the time starts over.

12:48--15 minutes starts again.

12:50--Oh, Andrea just told Ezekial the wants to start the 15 minutes again. (15 minutes starts again.

12:55--Waquira shouts out, "I gotta fart!" again...and farts again....

1:05--Waquira throws a book out the window and hits a car. The police come and escort her out. Waquira's mom calls me and asks me why Waquira's throwing books out the window...then she calls the principal and calls me a liar.

3:00--the day is over. Instead of sitting down to be called for line-up, students run around the room and play grab-ass.

Note: Waquira is supposedly transferring schools...again.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

..sounds familiar...just don't let the principal shout out "no homework" this coming Halloween friday (like mine did), and you should manage to escape the day with just a sugar high.

good to hear what's goin on. give us a call if you get a minute.

best
jenn

Kristin said...

I've always wondered what your day was like. Hope to see you soon.

Kristin A.

Unknown said...

You have GOT to be kidding me. This is exactly why so many teachers run from the profession. Goodness, I don't know that I'd be able to keep my mind after a day like that.

I CANNOT believe she threw a book out the window.

Chronicles of Noel said...

I should note that all names have been changed in this story.

Chari-Dee said...

It's a post like this that explains why I don't teach - I can't abide by anyone using the *F* word, it's toot or nothin'.

But seriously, I'm proud of ya!