Today was one of those long days. The school part was fine, but after school it just kept going. Today was the first local scholarship meeting. Probably a hundred seniors filled out a lengthy application to submit for local scholarships in the community. Toyota, Exxon, and many other nearby businesses give money back to schools for good students.
To represent the seniors today was the department chair of special education, three of our four counselors, the college and career technician, two English teachers (I was one of the two), and a social science teacher who also is our Activities Director. No one from World Languages could make it, none from Math, none from Science, none from Art, none from Applied Tech, none from PE. Three teachers of the seniors that took time to apply for these valuable scholarships made it to the first meeting. Actions speak volumes.
Walking out of that room, I went across the way to the Library, where students tutor other students after school until 4:00. I’m always reminded of how good I still have it at school because I knew most the student helpers in there, if not all. They’re the really good kids at North High, many of whom I had just seen on lists for local scholarships. And there they were, helping out after school, which always is a reminder of why most teachers come to school on a daily basis.
My day was fine. We checked out Catcher in the Rye for my seniors and 1984 for the honors sophomores. My regular sophomores didn’t listen well to a TED Talk, but it didn’t speak to them like others talks might. They still did their other work. It was school, which is becoming more and more of a job these days.
I’m tired right now. The teacher I talked to after school in the library is tired, too. But we’re not tired of the kids. We’re tired because of the machine, the one that tells us that up is down even though we can see with our own eyes that this is not the case.
How can others not see it?