She slapped the child, all five fee nine of him, upside the head and snarked off. Pushing chair back, run, put my hands on his shoulders, gently ease him back down. "Don't do it. She isn't worth it." "I hate this fucking school. It's dirty, look at the floor. No-one cares. I hate that fucking bitch. School needs to be torn down." "Hate me. Take it out on me. Hate me."
Profiling all 6'feet of him in my face. Jumped in between a fight. He's mad and ready to damage something , right now me. He's two inches from my nose. If you do it you better make sure I don't
get up because I will take you down. Bends his head down and his shoulders start shoving up down. He is laughing so
hard. "Are you for real." Yep! And I better not hear anything about you being on anything but your best behavior, ok. "Yes ma'am."
Standing, facing the blackboard, hair cut Gumby style. Shuffling his feet back and forth, back and forth. Energy emanating from him like a live wire. Eyes darting to the child standing, humiliated, defeated, eyes darting to the teacher, me and back to the child-back and forth, to and fro...walks over, leans down and speaks to him. Give's me the look. Let's go. You don't have a problem with your kids; you have a problem with your teachers.
"White parents care more about their kids than black parents do." "My dad drinks beer, get's angry, hits me." Don't put your hands on a child, big trouble. Two girls, hands entangled in hair, hard sounds of slaps hitting flesh, skin. Teachers and children watching, don't touch a child. oh, hell no. Move, push people aside, wrap my arms around the little one. All five feet of her. Pin her arms to her side, pick her up, whisper, "I won't hurt you; I promise not to let anyone hurt you over and over." Make-up session for class on not
touching kids...I never go. Brings
her honor roll report card for me to
see at the end of the semester.
"I'm sick of learning about white people. I want to learn about my people." "I don't like white people." "You a model. You walk like a model. Watch." Perfect imitation of me. How ridiculous. Stupid white woman. Why you here. "You could be teaching children who want to learn." "Why black men like blonds." The Blacker the Juice the Sweeter the Berry. Why'd she write that about skinny people. Makes no sense. She went back on her own words.
"You're going to tell me these kids are different from any other kids in the district? Come on." "Help me. I need help. My kids need help." Kid gurked a kid in class. Fire the teacher. Kid had a past record, sex in school. Don't tell the teacher. Fire the teacher. Lie after lie, fire the teacher. Happen-sat on a hearing board. 2nd grade teacher, fired. But...doesn't matter. Teachers fault.
"Get out, get out. No breakfast today or tomorrow. No food at home either. Too fucking bad." "They can't learn. They don't have the ability to learn." Why you here? "Why you wasting time on those two? They just trouble." Toe to toe-administrator, student-both tall, proud, beautiful and queens. The administrator wins, student kicked out. My student. North Carolina...graduates eighth grade first in class, magnet school. "They can't lean." "Help me. I need help; my kids need help." "We don't know what the hell you are talking about." "You are unprofessional. Redact your statement. You are not doing your job".
Grant for robotics, grant for field trips, 21st Century Grant, Project Infuse, STEMbotics. "You are not doing your job." He had a knife. Gun was found...he's gone, pot. "Told you, trouble." "Just give the canned presentations." Don't deviate. Find the gifted. They exhibit it differently. No, they don't. Some, yes! "We don't have gifted. They're stupid." Worksheets, worksheets, worksheets. "Help my kids. Help me, we need help!"
Meetings, endless, mindless meetings-pulled from work, my classes, my kids, my teachers. 8:00 p.m. Again. Go home. Dads a preacher, why his son...three hours. I'm going to quit and join the Air Force...two hours. Teacher called me stupid...one hour. Student sitting in science workroom, alone-can't behave. Homeless student, no shower, hair in a little beanie. Take off your hat. No hats in school. No, No, No...get out of my class. Running, shuffling, sound of desks banging together...get security, running, "I don't run." Please, someone is going to get hurt. "You're not doing your job..." "I quit!" " who is going to teach us, crazy teacher." Tears streaming down his face...I get up and leave. I am dying.
