get your learn on

This is not funny.

Student had to describe the final scene that led up to the main character running away; said scene involved traumatic child abuse.  Student’s description: She showed everybody his thang and slapped him on the butt.

This is the only thing that made me laugh today.  I’m sure part of it is the fact that I can hear this particular student saying this in the way that only a 3rd time ninth grader who is super smart, and therefore super bored of being in the 9th grade again, and therefore super talkative and frustrating to me, AND YET still makes me laugh, mostly when I shouldn’t, as per the above example, can.

And technically, the lady did show everybody his thang and also slapped him on the butt, so full credit was awarded.

So it turns out

I don’t want to be an English teacher. I have no desire to teach grammar or writing. Previously, I thought that this was something I cared about.

Also, I do not feel that being surrounded by aggressive, ill-tempered, and rude people on a daily basis is something that I need to tolerate in my life.

I am not effective at my job.  This is not fair to the students.  They deserve a teacher that is passionate about English and wants to be in class with them everyday.  I am neither of these things.

1. I like reading books and I like talking and writing about books.  I would like to work in a position that allows me to do this.
2. I like working with young people who are actively trying to steer their lives on to a more positive and productive life path.  I would like to work in a position that allows me to do this.

I understand that one and two may not be in the same position.  I think that I would prefer number two, since I can do number one on my own.

If I had never tried, never tested out my dream, I would never have known that it wasn’t for me.

This is a joke, right? This can’t really be my life.

And yet

There is no way I’m doing this for 10 years.  Five, maybe.