Everything and More!

Gosh, it's been such a crazy few months. It seems like just last week that school started, but we are now seven weeks into the semester. Parent teacher conferences are next week, and Thanksgiving break is so close. Once Thanksgiving is over, that leaves just a few weeks until Christmas break, which means I am half way through my first year of teaching.

So far the school year has been great. I have a great set of students; for that I feel really blessed. I hear some of my teacher friends talk about theft, pregnancy, and behavior problems they deal with on a daily basis; my biggest problem is a group of talkers. I have a few students I struggle with on a daily basis, but if talking is my worst problem, then I'll be just fine.

The thing I have a hard time with is hearing the stories of my students. They are 14-16 years old, and yet they have some sad stories.

*I have a 15 year-old student with a one-year-old child. Do the math. She doesn't know who the father is.
*I have a student whose dad is in jail.
*I have a student who, in the middle of the night, was pulled out of bed by her mother because she had to escape her husband (my student's dad). They are now living from house to house until her mom can find a job in order to pay rent. My student is looking for a job so she can help her mom pay the bills. They have no health insurance, and her mom has a tumor on her lungs.
*I have a student who has never met her mom or dad; she's been adopted by her grandparents who are 80 years old.
*I have a student whose dad is dying of cancer.
*I have a student with turrets.

The list goes on and on. I have about 125 students, so you can imagine the stories I hear on a daily basis. It breaks my heart, and sometimes I just have to leave the room for a moment to gain control of my emotions. It's not fair. These kids shouldn't be dealing with this kind of stuff. It's hard enough for an adult to deal with these kinds of things, but how can a teenage child learn to cope and move on?

And how can one teacher make a difference? That's why I came into teaching: to make a difference. Sure, I teach English and I hope they are learning how to write effectively, but I am more than an English teacher. I am a guide, a mentor, a wise "old" adult. That's a lot of pressure for a 29 year old newbie.

But I carry on. I come in with a smile on my face, a pat on the back and a story to share. Perhaps I can be the one stable person in my students lives. Perhaps I am the only one to tell them, "Good job." Perhaps I am the only one to hear their story and cry with them. Perhaps I am the only one praying for them. Am I making a difference? I sure hope so!