This week was rough. Andy was really wrecked yesterday. I hate seeing him like that. I took 5th period outside to read on Wednesday. Two students got into a shouting match and another one spilled a jar of peaches all over the courtyard. A lot of students seem pissed off and/or exhausted. I'm trying to make the last few weeks meaningful and interesting. I've given up on Ivan. He was asking for help on his Lit Circle work, and as I was helping him he pulled out his cell phone and started texting. As in, as I'm sitting there working one-on-one with him. I've never been so angry this year--maybe only when Ryan made that comment about "Terminus." I sent Ivan the fuck out of the room.
Thursday I was on the Muni in the morning, having gotten about 5 hours of sleep again, for how many nights in a row, I don't know why. I sat down close to a homeless man who at first was singing some kind of song that repeated the words "dance with me in outer space," then he started crying, then he started yelling at me, called me a "slut," told me he was going to spray me with nerve gas, told me he was going to chop my head off, then threw a .375L plastic bottle of vodka at me. It helped me forgive my students and I was a little more relaxed in class.
Sia came into my large school classes to give a survey about the achievement gap at Berkeley High. Reading over the responses, I was impressed with my students, how much thought they put in, and how much they seem to understand, and want to understand. I was impressed by Sia's poise and passion. It was a small beautiful moment, Sia had suggested I give credit for the survey or students wouldn't take it as seriously, but I told her I trusted them to do it carefully, and they did.
Yesterday Luis asked me what percent assignments for Maus I expected to get. I said 100%. They had last week and this week in class to read and finish the questions. He said more like 5 or 10%. I hope that doesn't happen. After school I went to Jupiter and had a beer with Kate and a guy named Jamie, who will be the chemistry teacher for SSJE next year. Kate has a volunteer that helps out with her classes. I might try to get a volunteer. On my way home I had to pee really badly and I was going to a gallery in SoMa, I got off at Civic Center and tried the library but it was closed, so I found one of those green public toilet booths in Civic Center plaza. I went in and there were a woman and two men boiling heroin in little metal cups and injecting. They hardly paid attention to me, and I really had to piss and felt really drunk because I hadn't eaten much, I did it and left. The gallery was okay, the art was boring but it was a cool space in an area I might never have gone to. The gallery is called Electric Works. I met up with Albert and Sasha in the Mission and had a mango lassi. We went to a few more galleries. A lot of it seemed like nonsense, or I was just tired and grouchy. I'm feeling pretty down right now, and I don't know how to get over it. I have to figure out how to get out to Holy Names University in Oakland for one of my students' dance performaces.
Something I love: a girl with nice legs when one of the legs has a big ripe bruise.
Thursday I was on the Muni in the morning, having gotten about 5 hours of sleep again, for how many nights in a row, I don't know why. I sat down close to a homeless man who at first was singing some kind of song that repeated the words "dance with me in outer space," then he started crying, then he started yelling at me, called me a "slut," told me he was going to spray me with nerve gas, told me he was going to chop my head off, then threw a .375L plastic bottle of vodka at me. It helped me forgive my students and I was a little more relaxed in class.
Sia came into my large school classes to give a survey about the achievement gap at Berkeley High. Reading over the responses, I was impressed with my students, how much thought they put in, and how much they seem to understand, and want to understand. I was impressed by Sia's poise and passion. It was a small beautiful moment, Sia had suggested I give credit for the survey or students wouldn't take it as seriously, but I told her I trusted them to do it carefully, and they did.
Yesterday Luis asked me what percent assignments for Maus I expected to get. I said 100%. They had last week and this week in class to read and finish the questions. He said more like 5 or 10%. I hope that doesn't happen. After school I went to Jupiter and had a beer with Kate and a guy named Jamie, who will be the chemistry teacher for SSJE next year. Kate has a volunteer that helps out with her classes. I might try to get a volunteer. On my way home I had to pee really badly and I was going to a gallery in SoMa, I got off at Civic Center and tried the library but it was closed, so I found one of those green public toilet booths in Civic Center plaza. I went in and there were a woman and two men boiling heroin in little metal cups and injecting. They hardly paid attention to me, and I really had to piss and felt really drunk because I hadn't eaten much, I did it and left. The gallery was okay, the art was boring but it was a cool space in an area I might never have gone to. The gallery is called Electric Works. I met up with Albert and Sasha in the Mission and had a mango lassi. We went to a few more galleries. A lot of it seemed like nonsense, or I was just tired and grouchy. I'm feeling pretty down right now, and I don't know how to get over it. I have to figure out how to get out to Holy Names University in Oakland for one of my students' dance performaces.
Something I love: a girl with nice legs when one of the legs has a big ripe bruise.
posted by DB at 12:12 PM
0 comments
