Hello friends, family, and strangers (I flatter myself)! I am a recently-graduated girl finding my way in the "real world" (apparently, I've been floating around the fake world for the past two decades). Many of my friends' "real world"s consist of cubicles, nine-to-fives, marriage, babies, and other such grown-up things. My real world looks a little different. Yes, I still get up and go to work every morning, same as they do. But instead of battling fax machines, computer programs, disgruntled spouses and dirty diapers, I arm myself against a legion of 14-year-old boys. Well, 83 of them to be exact. You see, I teach 8th-grade boys' Science in an inner-city, high-poverty school. What it is not: glamorous, prestigious, boring. What it is: humorous, heartbreaking, and the most challenging thing I will ever do.

The stories I tell and the people I describe are real; you can't make this stuff up. If you are new to my blog, I hope you'll start at the beginning and fall in love with its characters, just as I have.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

gut check

Khalil got back today. He's been suspended for ten days because he stole money out of Mrs. C's wallet. When he got caught, he merely said, "Ain't no need to lie about anything. Yeah, I took it to buy some kush."

He comes to school high a lot and says some pretty crazy stuff. I generally like him, but he can either be wonderful or terrible (remember this?).

"Really?" I greeted him. "Ten dollars from an old lady to buy weed? When does that turn into $100 from someone else, then $1000 from some cash register?"

I paused, not really sure whether to elaborate. What exactly does one say here? I did have one thought that had been nagging me since I'd found out what he'd done. "Tell me something, Khalil. And I want you to answer me honestly. Honestly. No BS. If I had left my wallet on my desk, would you have taken from me?"

"No."

"Promise?"

He nodded emphatically. "Promise."

I don't know if I believe him, but I guess it's irrelevant. I would never, EVER bring my wallet inside RMS!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)