There are probably a lot of these out there, but the only thing I really have to write about it school. I am a high school English teacher in Denver, Colorado. I used to work in THAT school...you know, the one that made everyone shake their heads and tsk tsk when it was mentioned. The one that made a (white) person's eyes get big and look at you as if you'd just returned from feeding orphans in a Kenyan refugee camp. But that school got blown up by the superintendent and in the explosion I landed south of town in another public urban school with a slightly better reputation. I love my job. I might say something bitter every once-in-a-while, but it won't be about my students who are fantastic human beings. I might make fun of said students sometimes, but only because they are teenagers and they deserve it. Mostly, I'm going to try to find something funny or hopeful to say. We do not focus enough on what is funny and what is hopeful about the work that we as teachers do. I'll start off with a little diddy about Sigmund Freud.
I have a Sigmund Freud finger puppet doll on the chalkboard in my classroom (yes, Sigmund would find it funny to be a finger puppet and yes, my school has chalkboards--we're an urban public school district, remember?). I have drawn a cartoon word bubble coming out of his mouth and since school has started he has said funny and insightful things. Of course, at the beginning of the year I explained to my students who Freud was. They were amused and immediately asked to read Oedipus Rex. Imagine, 17-year-olds asking to read Ancient Greek Literature. Be still my beating heart.
Anyway, on Tuesday, Freud said, "I am thankful for my mother." It was up all day and not a word from my students (they must have had something else--like VACATION FROM SCHOOL--on their minds). As the bell was leaving to signify the end of 8th period, and the school day, Josh approached me. "Thankful for my mother, Miss Stutelberg? That's messed up." He smiled. "Just wanted to see who was paying attention, Josh," I replied. "Oh, everyone has been talking about it all day. You have a good thanksgiving, Miss."
And thus, my reputation begins to establish itself.
