Games normal kids DON'T play
My husband's teaching nightmares have subsided to maybe once every couple of weeks. I know when they occur before he tells me; he tosses and turns, talks in his sleep, awakens haggard with his brow furrowed.
I understand. My nightmares are limited to maybe twice a week; they're vague and leave me weary with nonspecific anxiety. I work half the hours he did and only see his particular batch of inbred future criminals once a week for a scant forty-five minutes, yet they manage to lock my jaw and knot my shoulders in the first ten minutes. They are far and away the worst class in the school. It is no accident, but that's another post. During his last week there, he saw something that sort of epitomized his entire experience. After dropping his kids off at recess, he ducked back inside, only to realize that he had forgotten to keep one in to finish something. He went back outside--less than a minute had elapsed-- and caught one of his boys guiltily chucking something around the corner to hide it. Of course he investigated...only to discover that several of the boys in his class had been tossing around a dead bird.
This is not sanitary. This is not normal. This is Beavis and Butthead redux. Don't pretend you do not know what I'm talking about.
Another eye-opening moment came last week when I was teaching an unruly group of kindergarteners and caught one licking another on his (jacketed) shoulder. "Oh, they've been doing that all day," said their teacher. "I can't convince them it's not good. They were licking the bathroom door earlier."
I understand. My nightmares are limited to maybe twice a week; they're vague and leave me weary with nonspecific anxiety. I work half the hours he did and only see his particular batch of inbred future criminals once a week for a scant forty-five minutes, yet they manage to lock my jaw and knot my shoulders in the first ten minutes. They are far and away the worst class in the school. It is no accident, but that's another post. During his last week there, he saw something that sort of epitomized his entire experience. After dropping his kids off at recess, he ducked back inside, only to realize that he had forgotten to keep one in to finish something. He went back outside--less than a minute had elapsed-- and caught one of his boys guiltily chucking something around the corner to hide it. Of course he investigated...only to discover that several of the boys in his class had been tossing around a dead bird.
This is not sanitary. This is not normal. This is Beavis and Butthead redux. Don't pretend you do not know what I'm talking about.
Another eye-opening moment came last week when I was teaching an unruly group of kindergarteners and caught one licking another on his (jacketed) shoulder. "Oh, they've been doing that all day," said their teacher. "I can't convince them it's not good. They were licking the bathroom door earlier."
spoken by Sister Morpheme at 6:17 PM
3 Rants:
When I was in high school, someone dared a guy to lick the asshole of a dead fox that was in a ditch behind the bandroom. And for 5 dollars, he totally did it.
When I was in high school a group of kids ice picked a pastured horse to death. Le plus ça change, le plus c'est la même chose.
Well written article.
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