Distractions

It has been a week-actually several weeks-of "distractions". The distractions began with possibly the BIGGEST distraction-our principal left very suddenly (overnight)leading to rumors, anger, more rumors, sadness, more rumors, meetings, happy hours to say goodbye, meet and greets to say hello (new principal). Just exhausting. Oh-and yes, I still teach there AND have a child who is a student there so I got to be exhausted as a staff member and exhausted as a parent. Distractions.

Distraction number two which has nothing to do with my professional life-I was fired via e-mail from a volunteer job. Then I was unfired. Then I think, but I'm not sure, I was fired again. Maybe. LONG story, still ongoing. Rumors. "I heard that..." phone calls. Trying to explain things to deaf ears. Having decisions made that have an effect on me, without my input. Distractions.

Distraction numbers three through six-a controversy. An investigation. A paranoid parent. Having to explain myself and being cautioned "NOT" to explain myself. Being a teacher is a hard job? You betcha!

So we have all had weeks like this.

In the middle of all of these distractions--I take a look at my students. Now-anyone who has EVER been a teenager knows that being a teenager is a series of distractions. Who is wearing what, who is going out with who, who broke up with who, who said something about you, where is the rumored fight going to be, can I get a ride to the fight, what is for lunch, is the new principal going to make us wear uniforms. Some have even more serious distractions-an ill parent, having to work at two jobs after school to support a family, someone in the family going to jail. So amidst ALL of these distractions, they have a job to do, which is go to school and do their work and learn something. And teachers EXPECT this to occur in spite of all of these distractions. Being a high school student is a hard job? You betcha!

So we are all the same. The distractions will always be there. What to do? How to cope? I don't have the answers. But it has helped me to see that I am going to have successes in the classroom and failures that have to do with outside forces beyond my control. Change is inevitable. Distractions are inevitable. It is how I react to those changes and cope with all of those distractions that influences my teaching. Learning, still learning........