Kole is back!

Hello friends,
sorry I've been away a while. please pass this blog onto atleast 10 of your friends, its good stuff. I've been substitute teaching in New York City recently. Some very rough schools. Kids throwing condoms at me (back turned of course), other kids challanging me physically to a showdown! Geepers! How do I handle these things? A clever combonation of well timed insults, threats and going to management. Problem is that a kid tried to prevent me from protecting a few other kids from injury. This genius placed a flower pot above a door waiting for someone to open that door. He refused to remove it and blocked me from going towards door. Given hitting is not an option, I waited patiently then went to the Dean. Problem is they may not care about Substitute Teachers. The good schools do, the bad ones have given up on themselves and the students. They are just waiting to be shut down and simple deny there is a real problem. What if they expell the kid? He doesn't graduate and it goes against that school. So, you want to be a teacher? Excellent. Some schools offer programs such a "feeding the Tigers, ducking when chairs are thrown at your head and my favorite, how to blame yourself for being the victim."

The good news is that excellent schools do not have these problems. Even in bad areas if they are well managed, well funded even bad kids behave ok. I love teaching and hope to continually make a difference in the lives of others. Just like Ob-1 said to Luke, "don't give into hate." Although it may be too late for others, its not too late for me. I'll help the kids, but won't turn my back on them. Having condoms thrown at me is not my idea of practicing safe sex.