All that's new

So, the school year is officially underway.

I cannot believe how insanely beautiful my new school is. It was very telling when, on the first day of school, the kids all looked in awe and wonder at the windows. "Wow..look! Windows!" said they. Isn't it a state statement about the state of the schools in my district that kids in the 8th grade, who have presumably gone through the requisite nine years of school leading up to 8th grade are blown away by the fact that there are actually windows that open in the place.

I have an 8th grade homeroom this year. For the past few years, although I've taught both the 7th and 8th grades, I've always had a 7th grade homeroom. Funny how a summer makes a vast difference in the maturity level of the kids. Last year i felt like I was babysitting a roomful of wackos in my 7th grade homeroom. This year, even though most of the kids are the same, I feel like I'm sitting there in the company of a roomful of adults. Well...that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I am just trying to illustrate my point that the kids are so much more mature now.

Because our new facility is massive, and in order to justify its construction, we had to augment our student population. To that end, we've absorbed the population of a neighboring school that was in equally appaling condition to our own. The new kids add a bit of change, of course. Some of the changes are positive, and some will take some getting used to.

I can't believe the stuff that the kids are getting into these days. One of my students spent the summer on house arrest for armed robbery. Another came to me on the first day to report that he had been jumped by some other kids from another school and was taken from the scene in an ambulance with a broken eye socket and nose.

Still other kids were rearing to act completely wild on the first day of school, yelling and screaming and swearing on the way into the class.

It is shocking because you think that they might at least try to make a good impression (or pretend to) on the very first day of school.

I point these things out not to be critical of the kids. On the contrary...I point them out because these things make me genuinely worried about the kids. Kids are so busy getting caught up on way-over-their-heads crap today. I wish they could just spend a little more time being kids.

Although maybe the very definition of the word "kids" has changed since we were kids. Maybe in our day, being "kids" meant hanging out with friends at the mall and goofing off in school, whereas today maybe the accepted definition of "kids" means stealing shit at the mall and cutting school to go smoke and have sex.

Am I getting too philosophical/contemplative here? I guess my mind is just wandering through these questions as I see some of my kids and become aware of the things they've seen and done.

Christ, I think many of them have been around the block way more times than yours truly.

Anyway....onto other subjects.

What else is there?

Oh, yeah, I'm cat and dog sitting for the next three weeks. I just arrived at my guest house yesterday. It has more space than I know what to do with. I can take or leave the cats, but I love the god. Sadly, he will only be here for a few days until he is shuttled off to his auntie's house. The cats will be with me for the duration. Don't get me wrong, they are nice enough cats, but I just don't find cats to be very fun or affectionate. They just kind of sit there. The dog, on the other hand, is playful and affectionate. He has not left my side at all since I've arrived. I really like this dog. If I didn't live in a city apartment, I think I'd be a big time dog owner.

Also, just something silly to point out...

It seems that lately, no matter where I am, or no matter where I need to go, I get stuck behind the absolute slowest people and am left feeling entirely frustrated.

I get stuck behind the slowest person in the supermarket who decides to block the entire aisle with their massively overflowing cart.

I get stuck behind some asshole who decides to board the bus and pay their fare in pennies.

I get stuck trying to cross the street as some idiot drives toward me too fast for me to cross in front of him, but slow enough so that the traffic is building up behind him as to prevent my ever getting across the street.

I have to run to the bathroom before my class at the gym, or sometimes even during the middle of the class, and, not wanting to miss any of the activity, I try to hussle over there, only to find some old bat doing quadriceps stretches in the frame of the bathroom doorway.

Jesus!

Oh, and speaking of activity, I'm somewhat limited in what I can do these days because of this annoying-ass plantar faciitis.

That's it for now!

Just thought I'd keep folks posted.

Nants