When I was in high school, I worked hard.  I wanted to go to school for art and I wanted to go away to college.  My dad brought me to sessions run by far away colleges.  My high school teacher encouraged me.  Then it all stopped.  I never heard anything from my teacher about colleges after some point.  She didn't encourage me in any way.  It is no secret I am not happy with where I went to school.  I have always wondered if my mother intervened and told my teacher to stop it.  My mother let me and my dad know I was not to go away.   I had to commute.  This might seem so far fetched, but when you know all the other manipulative things she did, it is plausible.

So when I have students who have talent and opportunity and they squander it, I get angry.  They have chances to do stuff with their talent - talent I had not developed at their age - and they would rather party.  I have one kid who is probably the best I have had in a few years.  He sits and does nothing for two periods.  He comes in, but does not work.  One thing he told me that the experience of coming back to school was boring compared to the fun of Memorial Day weekend.  Imagine that!  I was floored.  How can I compete with MDW?  I can't.  And to this kid, that was totally understandable.

Then I have the kids who have talent and are doing nothing or not showing up for whatever inane reason.  And there is work to be done.  I am not one of those lazy teachers who will show movies for the rest of the year.  I can't.  Never mind the fact that if I slip up, there is always someone there to spotlight that transgression.  There are a number of us in this situation here.  So I keep trying to teach.  And I get kids staring at their monitors light they are hypnotized.

I know they are teenagers and their priorities are not on school.  However, when I was in school, the partiers managed to come in every day, get the work done, and keep a job.  I worked from the time I was 14, kept good grades, and made it in to school nearly every day.  I know the partiers were doing their thing.  I heard them talk.  But they were in school the next day, doing their work.  They did not keep the teacher from teaching because they were figuring out how to get their shore house for the weekend or gabbing about the shenanigans at last night's party.  And I do not know why I am supposed to be okay and cool with this.  I am angry at the lack of work ethic.

Then I hear that there are teachers talking about their party days with the kids.  And I know why I am not cool and I am the killjoy.  I just cannot be that person.  Forever uncool.