A(nother) place to write

Today was pretty normal. I had 9 students come to class, out of 20+ enrolled. Two kept leaving at every opportunity. I was wondering what they were up to. No good it seems. Then when they were in class, they were looking at cars and girls and checking their e-mail. I'm not sure what they were doing when they were out of class, but the lead teacher in the other dept. wants them gone.

After school one girl who doesn't even have my class today came by to shoot the breeze and talk to me. She was waiting for her ride and she said she feels like I'm the only teacher that she is comfortable talking to. I like that feeling. It is partly me and partly the position that I am in. Having my room where it is and having candy at the door seems also to be an inviting thing. I'm also willing to talk to students about their lives. During class another girl was asking me what to do about colic, and a third girl was telling me about her lack of weight gain during her pregnancy and showing me pictures of her first baby's birth.

I went through my rolls and looked for students who have not been working or attending. I am trying to purge those students or better yet, get them back. I've made phone calls and I've heard all sorts of excuses. (Usually they don't have transportation.) There are quite a few whose phones no longer work.

I neglected to write about an important "event". Yesterday the lead teacher above (the one whose position I took) got an "honor". Her name was spray painted on the side of the building with the words "is a c*nt". The principal, who sees the good in everyone said "nice penmanship" (which it was) and the teacher said, well at least he could spell. I got a photo of it for future records. It was not as bad as the graffiti on the side of my church that said Devil church of Satan.

Time isn't the same again, they must be on pacific time. 11:07 am