Things Heard in the Teachers' Staff Room

Remember how, when you were a kid, you used to wonder if the teachers were talking about the kids during lunch? Eventually you'd convince yourself that the teachers would never do such a thing. Besides, didn't they have more interesting things to discuss?

The truth of the matter is that we absolutely do spend our entire lunch time (all 22 minutes of it) discussing our students.

I like to think that even though we sometimes vent about the less savory moments of the day, we still respect our students and have their best interests in mind. In short, our conversation is not malicious gossip, but rather mild venting, or problem solving to make the situation better.

I have a new student. He just arrived today. He has led a very difficult life. To say the least.

I found out about this boy's arrival when I walked into school this morning. He was there with his mom and his many siblings, and the principal introduced me to him and his mother. One of my colleauges, an obnoxious kindergarten teacher, had the audacity to say, "Boy....what a pain in the neck to get a new one at this point in the year," right in front of the kid and his mother. I did a quick damage control by turning to the boy and saying, "I'm really happy to have you here."

What a jerk, right?

Eventually I took my leave of the office to head up to my classroom to prepare for the day. The hideous kindergarten teacher, in spite of the fact that she will have no contact with this incoming 8th grader, lurked around the office listening to the rest of the conversation between the principal and the mother. I could not figure out why the principal didn't invite the woman into her office and close the door. It seemed clear to me that the woman was trying to be discreet.

So at any rate, the day gets under way and this young man ends up in my homeroom. He seemed like a nice enough kid; I'm sure it was difficult for him to turn up in late May as a member of our graduating class. He confided some pretty awful stuff in me. Enough to give me a snapshot about his incredibly difficult life.

Whatever.

Later at lunch, the kindergarten teacher who had been lurking in the office raced into the teachers' room, bursting at the seams with information to share. She launched into a rant about this kid and his family, revealing issues of a very sensitive nature in a loud bellow in front of a room full of people. I don't really care that she was sharing the news with my 7th and 8th grade colleagues we are all actually teaching the kid. But she was broadcasting these details to a bunch of people who have no reason to know them. Not to mention....the woman has no reason to know these things.

I did not allow her rant to last very long. I eventually put my hand up to silence her and reminded her that each and every student is entitled to "tabula rasa" status when they come to our school. We will give this young man the respect and dignity he deserves and do the best work that we can for him in these last 18 days of school.

I was really annoyed. This was not a useful FYI informational session with the guidance counselor or principal or somebody else whose responsibility it is to see to the well being of this young person. This was a malicious, gossip-spreading dog and pony show put on my some waste of oxygen who should really never have been allowed to stand before a class.

The funny thing is this...

There have been lots of times where I've wondered whether I've effectively taught the material in any given lesson, or whether this or that lesson tanked. However, when I think about the way some teachers treat the kids, with a complete lack of regard for their humanity, I realize that I'm doing pretty damn well by these kids. I try my best to teach them the skills they need, but more importantly, I think, is the fact that I actually try to extend a bit of kindness to them and let them know that somebody in their life cares about them.