"Youz a young teacher, we gonna like you"

I have finished my third day of work and it seems to be going well (a lot better than my last year of teaching)!!

The place that I am working (job corps) is a lot different than a school. There are some things about the system that I can really see as a positive. The rules and consequences are VERY structured and specific and the center really holds to them. There is a GREAT deal of conversation between teachers, counselors and RAs (yes, most students live on center). The communication is AMAZING! I have been reading the daily emails from all instructors highlighting which students did exceptional and which ones needed some help (or consequences). This is really the way schools should be - elementary teachers don't have the need necessarily but in middle and high schools this is so vital. I also love the way the center focuses on praising students and recognizing positives. This is not done enough in schools - especially for students like these.

Yesterday I met the sweetest girl - Erin is from close to area (many students live 2 hours away or more). She was a sophomore who was 18 and they said she was working too slowly to get her GED and kicked her out. She wasn't a "problem" student - just slower. What a dis-service to that girl.

Today I talked to Henry. Henry is 19 and was telling me stories about his scars. Henry's mother was a cocaine addict and he referred to himself as a "crack baby". He was born without a bone or muscle in one of his thumbs and a whole in his heart. The only heart they could replace him with had a broken valve that would need to be replaced by the time he was 18 or he would die. He just had surgery a year ago to fix this but they said he still probably wouldn't live to be 26. Most of these problems would not have happened if his mother wouldn't have selfishly done drugs during pregnancy.

Another student has a 2 year old daughter. It's hard to understand where these students are coming from so I just try to love them and not judge them. In Henry's case it was hard not to get angry at his mother for causing the problems (oh and then abandoning him - which I did not mention).

Love working with kids like this - if someone would have told me the type of students I would be working with I would not have believed them :)

Teach

p.s. students keep saying "youz a young teacher, we gonna like you" ha!