getting started

        Hi all  I really wanted to start a blog about the life of teacher.  This is my fourth year as a teacher in an inner city school district.  My first year was wonderful and full of learning how to get along with different people.  The next two years were hell.  The children were not well behaved and the teachers all turned on each other.  I am now teaching 6 grade and the school has become more diverse.  (there are now 6 white teachers.)  The students are all african american and all economically disadvantaged.  I grew up in a middle class family and went to a private middle school where I was the 'poor' kid.  I never really knew what poor meant.  Just yesterday in class i had to step out and get some fresh air because I almost threw up while a little girl was talking to me, her breath smelt horrible!!  From what i have been told the project housing these students come from do not have washer/dryer hook ups so they have to hand wash their clothes and hang them on the line to dry.  the laundromat is too far away, most of them do not have transportation.  We hear the children saying they only come to school to get free breakfast and lunch and to have heating/ac.  I always wondered growing up why someone would drop out of school but now i know, i get it now.  All these kids know is the streets, most of them come to middle school and cannot read, multiply, or divide, but they do know how to have sex, count that money, and fight.  I tried and tried to explain to them that people outside of thier 'projects' didnt fight everyday.  They looked stunned.  This 'street' life is the only one they know, many of them have never left the one block radius between home and school.
     I love to feel like i have made a difference.  Just this week students came to me and said that they learned something today, like they were surprised.  It is funny, in sixth grade after hollering at a student he came and gave me a big hug the next day.  that would never happen in 8 grade!  Although i miss those big babies too.  They still come back to see their middle school teachers.  One even told me she was sorry for acting so bad in my class because her 9 grade math teacher was horrible!!
     And on top of all this madness I have my own drama that plays a part in the crazy life of Coxy!!  a 7 year old who is "grown" so she thinks and a hard working husband that i love but like any husband tends to make me crazy at times.  I hope someone will find my blog helpful, interesting or just plain amusing!!