2001-05-23
kids, posted at 3:50 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I received a test back from a kid today. Part of the test required the students to write character descriptions of some of the characters in "Great Expectations."This particular angel decided to white out the names of the characters on the test and replace them with "Mr. Miazga", "Mrs. Cook", and "Mrs. Thomas". Mrs. Cook is the former intern in my room (I don't really know here), and Mrs. Thomas is the woman I'm subbing for during these last six weeks of the school year - she's the real teacher.
Under "Mrs. Cook", he wrote, "Ugly, mean, has long hair, pitiful." Under "Mrs. Thomas," he wrote, "Old, black, crazy hair, sleepy, mean, smelly, can't teach." Under "Mr. Miazga," he wrote, "funny, has blue eyes, sweet, good teacher, short, I think 34."
There's a few issues going on with this. First, I suppose I should have been upset with him for bashing his two former teachers that I don't know, but instead I was flattered and showed the test off to people.
Secondly, he fucking thinks I'm 34 years old! Oh my gosh! I asked a different class - the one that was in session while I was grading the test - how old they thought I was. "28". "50" (God, I hope that one was a joke). "35". "31". "36". "21" (thank god!). Most were flabbergasted when I told them I was just 23. At least some people were close. I felt really old for a bit, but then I realized that 9th graders cannot judge people's ages. At least that's what I'm telling myself. I still get stopped in the hall by security for walking without a pass whenever I choose not to wear a tie. I don't look old, do I?
The incident certainly did not help my whole age complex thing I've got going on right now. I'd be old for a rookie in baseball. I'm a year older than my mom was when she had me. I'm the same age as my father when he married my mom. I'm nowhere close to getting married. The goal is still by the age of 28, and that's still well within reach I suppose. But my male biological clock is ticking - not quite like Marisa Tomei's is in "My Cousin Vinny" (do you remember that scene? what a classic!) - but it's ticking. That was perpetuated by my holding my infant second cousin on Saturday night. It was perhaps my first time holding a baby since I was ten and holding my cousin Victoria (who is now in the 8th grade... you do the math, because I cannot). Anyway, it was amazing. She was so small, so vulnerable, so in need of care. It was very moving to hold her. I can't wait to one day have one of my own. I don't think I'm ready for kids, but the thought is nice.
Back on the school subject... I am really loving freshmen. I'm connecting particularly well with the boys - which is different from my experience with the seniors. There's a difference in maturity levels, and I feel like the boys are needing me more right now. (Plus, my experience so far is that most freshmen girls are annoying. Sorry, had to say it.) The boys are more vulnerable to dropping out and falling prey to bad influences than the girls. Some already have. One kid told me today in first hour that he was "blown out of his mind" and could "get me some really good shit." Nice.
But I have kids who I just look forward to seeing every day. I had to stop myself from giving one kid a ride today when I saw him at the busstop on the way into work. This one kid, Dan, has gone up from a 49% last semester to a 91% in my class. He's so bright, I have no idea how he failed this class. Another kid, Josh, has gone from a 63% to a 94%. And I'm not an easy teacher. Maybe I bend a bit more for the kids, or something - whatever it is, it's working so far. I'm immensely happy teaching them without constant evaluation going on.
Meanwhile, I'm going to try to fight off the urge to take an afternoon nap. And probably lose.