GreyParty

I’ve told classes that I will not be here next year. Reactions are still coming in. Anger among them.

One of my girls, who is graduating this year, sat me down for a long talk about it today. She told Mandy and I yesterday that she was not sure if she should be happy for us, or pissed off at me for leaving. Did I mention that she is going to be graduating, so she won’t be around anyway? Not the point of course.

She says that she is still processing it: big brother moving away, even if she wasn’t going to see me everyday anyway, like she has for the past three years. Thinking of going to college in Boston now to join us. She’s also lobbying to be the Godmother of our first child. She was hoping that’s what I was going to tell her yesterday. A bit of a let down I guess.

Others are equally unhappy, esp. those who planned on taking a class from me next year, and are currently trying to figure out who will “prepare them for college.” That’s my rep. He’ll beat you to death, but you’ll be ready for the world when he’s done. Funny when juxtaposed with my new job: teaching students how to be teachers. The general reply was “good, we need more like you, regardless of how scary that is.”

Some are taking it as a sign of how the school (and districit) are on a serious decline - “this place is going to crap: we can’t keep any good teachers anymore” - before listing off the others who have left, and the ones they wish they could get rid of. These are the same kids who complain about the workload day in and out. Apparently they are learning something. Others are starting to see the administration as more evil than they previously believed . . .

I’m noticing that some are trying to soak up as much of the Scary Black Guy as they can before I’m gone. Spending more time to ask questions and dig into the old mind. It’s cute and heart-breaking at the same time.None are stupid enough to think that I’m tuned out for the rest of the year; they know that I will be turning it up a notch, or two, or twenty, because I don’t trust anyone else with the welfare of my kids. I’ve got a lot to do in a short amount of time. Some people better stay out of my way.