Thread: Refreshing, Very Refreshing!

Not to make it sound like this is a "self-admiration" club, but you all don't know how nice it is to come here and discuss things - regardless of how serious or silly - with REAL teachers to care about what they do. Aside from my brother, one person at work, and a former teacher's aide, it's tough to find people to discuss educational issues who really care, I mean REALLY, not BS spin, which I'm surrounded by at work and within the school district where I live.

'Ya all know me by now, blunt, scarcastic and sometimes belligerent, but I really do care about what I do. I feel like I'm making up for lost time because in the jobs I've had before this one, I more or less "tutored" groups of kids on a one on one basis which was OK, but the problem was being surrounded by people (co-workers by and large) who didn't give a damn.

As I've stated in previous posts, where I'm at now, no one gives a damn either, which is great, because I can teach my ass off or loaf, and no one would care (of course, I choose to do the former). So again, I think I'm making up for "lost time" and want to finish up my "career" as a motivator and a helper of people who no one cares about (convicted felons).

Two REWARDING things happened to me yesterday (I know I'm rattling on, but humor me for a minute).

One, my tutor came in, a former student who graduated out of my class. He said, "Hey TPFKACSW, some dudes and I were chrunching numbers, and you know you have the greatest percentage of dudes getting their diplomas in this school?" He's right, but I'm uncomfortable with that kind of information. He (my tutor) said it made him feel good because that means HE is helping dudes get their diplomas, and that made me feel good. Really, in the end, it's up to the students where I teach. I may be 20% of the equation. What's been impressive lately is seeing some of my students get AHEAD of me! Kind of like the military - the sargent knows he's done his job when his troops progress beyond him. It's a great feeling.

Second, I have a Latin American student who speaks great english with a heavy accent. Excellent guy to have in class. Students from other classes were filtering in and stopping by my class yesterday and we were exchanging insults and jibs (a prison culture thing, no harm intended), and Angelo says "Hey, we like our class - TPFKACSW is good people." Other students in other classes want OUT of theirs. Every so often, I tell my guys that if they want to change to another teacher - for whatever reason - they can, and I'm not the least bit offended. No one has.

The point there is not that I feel "well-liked," but rather, I'm "connecting" and they want to be there. That's a nice feeling and motivates me.

Anyway, I GREATLY appreciate all your folk's imput, insights, advice, shared experiences, etc. And, for "accepting" the wierdo to your forum, yours truly, TPFKACSW.

TPFKACSW