One can only live in the 'dark' for so long. Eventually, someone or something will disturb your blissful state. Yes indeed, oneday while you are sleepwalking through your life, someone will turn on a light. And it won't be just any light. It will be one of those glaring, blinding high beams in your eyes types. Where have I been?
Here is my light...
Our school received a surprise this year. A bright & shiny new 'principal' shipped straight from the Leadership Academy. http://ice-uft.org/daddy.htm Still in the package, he has carefully honed his skills by using our school as his lab...Us, the teachers (The guinea pigs) will endure the test run of all tests. Young and frail looking, he barely made eye contact. When he spoke, the stone cold gaze sent chills down the spines of our most seasoned teachers. One could never tell what he was thinking as he silently made his presence known around the building. I heard rumors of threats he had made to long term residents of the building. I figured, hey, how bad can he be? He's human. He is married with 3 young children. As a mother myself, I'd like to believe that being a parent meant having a heart.
Well, the changing of the guards inevitably meant changing and enforcing ALL of the rules-strictly by the book. He had this zero tolerance thing that threw everyone for a loop. First, it was threats of what would follow if one were late. If getting to work weren't hard enough already, I now began leaving my home 20 minutes earlier. Anxiety ridden, I drove around in fear of not finding a place to park on time while she gave herself the allowance of parking in the schoolyard.
EXPERIMENT 1- (to be continued...)
Now, I have worked in 4 different boroughs under the cynical eyes of 8 or 9 different principals throughout my career. This new 'principal' has never taught in a classroom. I have felt the victory of getting through to hundreds of my students. I have held the hand of a little girl whom at 7 years old discovered that both of her parents were dying of AIDS. I have toyed with the idea of adopting one or more of my students. I have purchased Christmas presents, scarves, hats and coats for my students. I have comforted a child when her mother just picked up and left her and her two brothers with an abusive father. I have watched a little boy tear out his hair and bang his own head on the floor until he almost lost consciousness. I am a NYC schoolteacher and this is my job.