Chapter 13: The Meeting
Monday was here and after an extremely entertaining weekend I was still excited about being back with my students. The only thing that wasn't going make me happy was the fact that we had a faculty meeting today. The students had a half a day while we had to be stuck there talking about things we could do to change today's trends and horrible drop out rates. Not to mention the fact that the graduation and college placements were extremely low. Add that to the fact that the dropout was at an all-time high it's a wonder we still had jobs. After spending to short of a time with the good part of the job, I was doomed to experience the horrible part of it. I was starting to realize that this wasn't going to be my last stop in my career path. The feeling started early in the year and got worst each quarter. I expected to make a difference but it rarely worked, or at least it never really seemed to make a difference. Don't get me wrong the kids loved me and I in turn loved them, and it seemed like my teaching style did benefit them. It just never seemed to be fulfilling enough for me. While most people said as long as you can reach one or them, then your job is done. I never quite understood why we couldn't ask for more than that. Why shouldn't I want to reach all of them even better why can't I reach all of them? Here I was sitting in another meeting that made the fact that we don't reach all of them okay, and I was tired of it. Tired of how the students were always the blame, tired of everyone not holding up to their end of the responsibility as educators. I wasn't about to listen to Mz. Moore and the rest of the upper aged teachers use the excuse that the students were unreachable, and how this was the lost generation. So immediately as her usual thirty minute tirade took place I interrupted.
''Wow!!!''
''Excuse me. Mr. Alexander? Do you have something you would like to add?''
''As a matter of fact I think I do.''
Some of the younger staff immediately put their heads down and began to shake as if to say I hope he don't go off the deep end, but it was too late.''
'' Every meeting for the last six months I have been forced to listen to you discuss, I'm sorry ramble on about how horrible the kids are these days. How unreachable the have become, even how back in your day the behavior would be deemed unacceptable. You constantly condemn them and rarely ever up lift them. It makes me wonder why you wake up every morning and come here. Does it ever dawn on you that they aren't the only problem? Do you ever take into consideration that it's not just the students, but also the parents who were to blame. Even better why not, take in your part as well, do you come in daily with intent to distribute knowledge? Or are you just here for the check, making sure you get your years in for your pension? If you do why is it we never hear those complaints. If we stop for a second and leave the kids alone would we then have time to look at the school system itself. Why is it that we don't expect our students to learn the same things that students from other districts learn. We don't have the same curriculum as say a Bloomfield school district now do we? Though we insist that the students are the blame! At what point do we stop placing the blame, and actually start taking some? Over population, lack of supplies, teachers who fail to do their jobs, whether it's the fact that they're incapable, afraid, or just refuse to. Either way we fail just as we do they do. Only our failure is worst because as they know not what it is they're doing, but we know all to well.''
Honestly it was the best speech I could ever recall giving, and in the end I felt like a weight was lifted from me. These were things that I had wanted to say for so long and had forced myself not too. Once my words had traveled to all ears in the meeting I was interrupted by Mz. Moore who wanted to express to both sides of the argument that this meeting was to discuss the good job we had done. The year was just about over the results from the M.E.A.P were in and our numbers were higher than they had been in the past seven years. My guess was that it was because of the influx of new teachers and their different approaches to teaching. I definitely intended on backing up my theory by doing a little bit of research. The students weren't to get their results back for another week giving each counselor an opportunity to sort their students out. That would give me just enough time to sort out just what student's numbers grew and what students hadn't.
Weeks after me speaking up in the meeting my words were still buzzing through the halls of the school. I was still receiving evil stares from certain teachers, I even got hit with the whole lack of respect for the older generation. The entire thing was a bit amusing to me, truth was I could care less what they thought. I respect those who deserve my respect. As far as I was concerned a teacher who blames the students for being students didn't deserve it. I could still recall years ago when I was still actually in high school one of my favorite teachers said something that rang so true to me on this day, I could hardly believe it. She said that she loved her job, but hated the people! Then I couldn't truly understand her statement, but now it was so apparent I couldn't help but understand. My understanding went a step further because I not only understood but I totally agreed. It wasn't the kids that made the job hard, it was my fellow co-worker. The jealous, the lazy, and the ones that didn't care anymore were the ones that over did it on a regular basis. Not only that their mouths were always open with something to say about either my teaching methods, or something about the children's inability to learn, at least from their stand point. They also went out of their way to let me know that they really didn't care for me most times I found it amusing but from time to time it was becoming annoying. Luckily their wasn't too much time left, before the school year was over, who knew I might even be one and done.
As the school year's end was approaching I quickly decided at the last moment to give a final. It wasn't going to be an exam, but more of a check on learning. Each student would have to find the common ground between a piece from Shakespeare and their favorite writer of their time. Knowing that most of them were guaranteed to pick rappers of some sort I was prepared for any unbelievable attempt at a comparison between Shakespeare and Lil Wayne. Attempting to keep an open mind, I had to laugh at myself when giving out the assignment. Everyone had until the end of the school year to present their comparison piece, I wanted so bad to bring in a video camera to hold onto my laughter forever but decided against it.
Besides work my play time plate seemed to be dwindling. I was spending less time with the many and more with the one. Erin was soaking up most of my free time which most of the time didn't pose a problem. There weren't many signs pointing towards her getting to close. Plus we made it this far with nothing more than a close call or two. Thus far we were still platonic friends, whatever that meant. We hadn't had sex but you could cut the sexual tension with a buzz saw. A few narrow escapes between the two of us, sometimes it was her that saved us, but most times it was me. After Erin the few seconds I spent outside of work I divided up between whoever was free, when I was free.