Tuesday, June 24, 2008

My (short) Life As a High School Teacher

OK I don't talk too much about what is going on in my real life much but here goes....
last month i got a position teaching high school video at a charter school here in mpls.
to make a long story short, yesterday was my first day.
Today was my last.
I will start by saying 1 in 6 of the students were great!.... interested in filmmaking and attentive. Also 1 in 6 were mildly interested. That leaves the 4 in 6 or (2/3) that were little blank faced troubled teens or attitude copping troubled teens that made the whole classroom experience a living hell. I knew it was trouble when after the first day my assignment for them became: Bring a Pen.
This baby-sitting part of the job I was not prepared for.
And to be honest I just may not have the skills or the patience for this type of work.
A person has to know their limitations.
But the biggest realization i had during this experience is that i have to get to work making films, not teaching.

Todays Scores

Kids 1
Miller 0

(added 2 hours later):
addendum
i just got back from having a couple beers with my friend Holster at a local watering hole. Sitting outside where we met a great couple in their 60's? and had wonderful conversation on many subjects - a very pleasant hour.
But being such a recent escapee, it might be biasing my opinion.



(added 8 hours later)
Addendum PART II
Some people have been asking me "What's the name of this school?"
I won't print that here - let's just it call it Teen Attica.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, shite.
I'm sorry man. Having been through the teaching mill myself, though, I can't say I'm completely surprised.
You remembered the rule about not smiling until Thanksgiving, right? And even that didn't help?

Ah, kids these days....

Anonymous said...

Addendum: Is this going to be one of those "Stand and Deliver" stories?