Jessie's Girl

"Where can I find a woman like that . . ."

One of my students brought his pregnant girlfriend by my room. I talked to her about WIC and Zofran. So far, that makes four of my students that are expecting babies. The other three are girls. So I may have more students that are expecting babies with their girlfriends, and I just don't know about it. One of the teachers yesterday called the pregnancy rate in our school an epidemic.

Teenagers are awesome. They just are. It's better than anything. One minute they're hilarious; the next, they're like some ominous funnel cloud, ready to plow down anything in its path. One minute they're confident and outgoing; the next, they are as insecure as newborn kittens. It can make for quite a stage show at times.

How do I get them to understand how much I care about them? How do I get them to understand how important this is? They've got a great chance. They can use this opportunity to do and be anything. The students are labeled according to a system. There's an icon for certain students. I was kind of shocked when I finally realized that the icons meant something, and what they meant. I wish they knew that I did't see an icon stamped on their shirts or anything.

I've got to learn not to compare myself to other teachers. I talked with one teacher today; she's brilliant. She is well-read and scary smart and knows the content and methods backwards and forwards. She is awesome. She is younger than me, skinnier than me, prettier than me. I was like, man, I better get skinny and pretty and smart. But then I thought . . . I'd better just cool it. I'm the kind of teacher that I am. I'm not going to be like any other teacher. I can't. I just have to learn the content and methods and do what I'm wired to do. That's all.

In one of my classes, four of the students speak no English.

I have felt a real weight about being salt and light to the students. I think God is giving me some insight into their great needs.

I miss my babies during the day. It's hard being away from them. Noodle is in preschool at our church now, even. But if I have to do something to make money, I really don't think I'd rather be doing anything else.