Thursday, November 1, 2007

TRAINING OTHERS
















When you’ve been dead for far too long, your eyes turn to stone and the new archaeologists studying the lines on your face determine that you’ve become another common fossil, compressed and hardened, as far as you can go.

—Do you ever look up your students’ criminal records?

—I’m not here to judge them. Our judicial system has already done that.

—Have any fights broke out in your classroom?

—Nope.

sigh

I try to be more entertaining. I tell them about the gay convict in my last class, how he giggled and told another student that he was acting like a little schoolgirl.

—What happened? What did the other guy do?

—He said he’d beat his muthaf*^%*ng ass, and I told him to do it on his own time.

silence

—How many years have you been working for the department?

—Too many.

—Do you let them take books back to their cells?

—It depends. If they work in class, I don’t have a problem with it.

I walk around the room, as if I’m truly interested in making my students smarter, as if they’ll some day become productive citizens. I’m trying to show the new teachers what to do.

—Have you ever heard about one of your students paroling and turning his life around?

—No. I only hear about the ones who return.

I’ve piqued their interest. They want to know more about the failures, as if my story, my longevity, doesn’t count. I give them what they want.

9 comments:

The Butterfly Bar said...

Well, I'm of the opinion that you are doing a valuable service, and I do hope they turn their lives around.

It's understandable that you don't hear from the successes; who would want to visit the County Inn unless they had too?

But you'd think they'd drop you a card once or twice. Jeezzz...

Charles Gramlich said...

People do like the negative stories, don't they?

JR's Thumbprints said...

I'm afraid so, Charles, afraid so.

Chalice said...

It is too bad we all seem to focus on the negative all of the time. I try not to but I am guilty as well **sigh** I think this is one of the reasons I never watch the news and only hear about the bad stuff going on in the world from my friends, family and co-workers...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I will be back to yours as I like what I see :)

Take care..
Chalice

Danny Tagalog said...

Well, I wonder why the Negative piques our interest? Is it because we so often fail ourselves and some sort of sadistic mindset kicks in?

I'm sure you've changed many people for the good, whether immediately or further down the tracks...

Cheri said...

When my friends house burned last night you could see the smoke for miles. Some people that I know who lived nearby drove over to watch it burn, drinking beers and having "fun."

I was there with my friend to help almost simultaneously with the arrival of the firetrucks. It was no social event and I spent a while holding a child who was terrified, streaked with smoky ash wearing only pajama bottoms.

People do like the negative, it seems.

Lana Gramlich said...

Hang in there, hon. Your efforts may be appreciated more than you'd think.

Jo said...

JR, do you ever get frustrated? It must be a frustrating job.

Please tell Cheri my heart breaks for her friends who lost their house. Fire is just the worst! I wish I could do something to help.

Josie

Anonymous said...

Jim, I like the spider web in the photo. Tell the others all the horror stories so they get afraid. --Bro, Ron