10.16.2007

the struggling vs. the high-falutin'

It's official, my teaching situation has been finalized. In the morning, I'll be working in 'da hood and in the afternoon I'm working in a neighborhood where the average price of a home is well over one million dollars. Seriously, the kids in the morning use ropes to lock their jaloppy bikes (I'm only kind of exaggerating, though I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids got their bikes from breaking someones lock) and the kids in the afternoon are locking up their expensive Paul Frank bikes with pricey locks (I actually have a PF bike myself). While I have to drive to two school sites everyday, I'm really excited for the opportunity to work with two very different socioeconomic groups. Obviously, the parents in 'da hood tend to be less involved and frankly, absent, while the well to-do parents bring their attorneys to school meetings. As a new teacher, I feel fortunate to experience both right away. While I'm still questioning my decision to teach special education, and I may request a transfer to an elementary school site for next school year, I'm happy that all the drama has subsided and I can now actually focus my attention on the kiddos, that is after all why I decided to teach.

9 comments:

weezermonkey said...

[whispering]
I have a Paul Frank bike.
But I won it. ;)

I'm looking forward to hearing A Tale of Two Schools.

Nanette said...

[whispering] I have a Paul Frank bike, too. But it was a gift. Hee, hee.

I'm happy to hear you're excited!

California Girl said...

[whispering, because everyone else is] I don't have a Paul Frank bike, so there!

I'm sure this will be a great experience. And whether or not you stick with it, you'll learn a whole lot about a lot, and that's worth... a lot :)

amber said...

i'm glad they finally got everything straightened out. that must be a load off your shoulders. tons of luck for the rest of this school year -- i'm sure there will be challenges, but i know you'll face them head on :)

Keely Van Brocklin Emery said...

Sounds like the rest of this year is going to be very busy and interesting for you. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it. :)

Kay said...

i need to check out this PF bike as well, i don't want to be left out!!

even though its not the best ideal scenario you probably want, i am glad it has been finalized

~ Jolene said...

hmm...I should've looked into PF bikes before I got my Lulu. Oh well. :( That's great Alyssa. I think this is actually a great thing. Working with two socioeconomic classes is an opportunity few people probably get. I hope it goes well for you! I can't wait to follow you on your journey.

♥B said...

too funny! 'da hood and not 'da hood.

R said...

Seriously...lawyers to parent meetings? Sheesh. Sounds like you are definitely going to experience a lot with the new situation. Good for you. You'll experience on both ends and be that much more well rounded. Then you can pick and choose where you'll work.

And I wish I had a Paul Frank bike because they're wicked cute. Sadly, I'd probably have to break one of Richie Rich's locks to get one. ;)