Reply #260: I was in the Catholic schools and loved them. [View All]

[knitter4democracy]

There are still many, many issues and difficulties, but there were a million times better than the school where I did my student teaching. That was hellish.

I liked being able to hug a kid (sideways hugs were allowed) if she really needed it. I liked being able to pray with the students if something horrible happened that scared all of us (like when a student tried to commit suicide at school or when Columbine happened). I liked the uniforms (which suprised me, frankly). I loved the kids and the more relaxed atmosphere but still with a strong emphasis on academics.

I didn't like the parents and students feeling entitled to certain grades and extra work from me just because they were paying tuition. I didn't like parents bullying me and getting in my face because my B+ was going to keep their daughter out of Harvard. :eyes: I didn't like getting chewed out by my principal, a nun, for letting the kids run an editorial in the school newspaper about the cafeteria food and getting threatened with dismissal over it. I didn't like the kids mounting a campaign to get me fired because they felt I gave out too much homework and was "too hard." I didn't like having students scream and cry in my face, only to threaten to tell the principal I had shoved them when I asked them to back off.

It's a hard job, and I'm glad I'm opening up a yarn shop this fall. If I can teach high schoolers, I probably can handle cranky customers.