Subbing today...

I'm at high school today teaching pre-cal and algebra 1. Its fun
because I had a really small class and I could really help the
students in that class with their graphing assignment- y=mx+b. One
girl said she never does her work for her normal teacher. I told her I
wasn't her normal teacher and that we could go through if together.
She reluctantly agreed and I started helping her through the problems
by the third one she was really getting it and went on to complete
most of the assignment. Most of the kids need this kind of individual
attention, but can't get it. In my first period, many of the kids
simply refused to work, and because there were so many of them, I
couldn't work with them one-on-one. I only helped those students who
wanted help and asked for it.

There have also been a lot of girls that are pregnant in my classes
today. Its hard to see them so young and know that they have a very
hard road ahead of them and their kids have a hard life ahead too. Who
knows, some of these kids could have had teenage mothers themselves.

A girl in my 3rd period heard I was going to be a dentist and she told
me that was what she wanted to do too. I told her all about the
classes she would have to take and the DAT and encouraged her to work
hard. She thanked me before she left and told me she would try hard
to make it happen. It's moments like those that make me happy to be
doing this job. Its hard to take on a new group of kids every hour,
earn their trust, help them out, and know you will likely never see
them again. I wonder what will happen to the students I teach, and if
my being in their life for an hour will make any difference. For the
girl who wants to be a dentist, it could have made all the difference
in the world.