My Teaching Fantasy

When I took this job at a poor, almost (but not quite) inner-city school, I told myself it was because the kids up in the rich white suburbs could succeed no matter who taught them, but that I could really make a difference down here (conceited, I know). But lately, i.e. while grading my first six weeks exams, I find myself fantasizing about teaching somewhere where all my students could speak english, could read, could do basic math, had a home to go to, didn't have kids of their own, cared about passing, and paid attention to me. Is that wrong? I'm just feeling ever so slightly jaded tonight, and I'm starting to doubt my ability to teach these kids anything, cause for all the hard work I've been doing, I'm not seeing a whole lot of evidence that they are improving at all...Maybe it's because the ones who need the most help are running down to content mastery where my resource teacher "helps" them by giving them the answers, or even just doing it for them. I graded more than one test tonight that was in her hand writing...and NOT because they are physically incapable of writing. But that's a story for another day, after I've had my discussion with the VP about the problem. Love to all, including my students, even if they frustrate me sometimes.

P.S. Good teacher thing I did: told the nurse about one of my students who can't see. She screened his vision to confirm and is trying to hook him up with free glasses from the Lions Club (I hope he wears them if he gets them...)