Teacher
One of the frustrating things about teaching–and there are many frustrating things–is that I am often working with students who have a completely different set of values than my own. I’m really really good at connecting to students who come from a similar class background to mine–middle class or higher. But I’m somewhat less good at connecting with kids from “the hood.”
One of the things where we just don’t connect is that I cannot conceive of physically hurting someone unless it was to directly prevent harm to someone else. But some of my students think even getting looked at in the “wrong” way is enough to launch into a full-on fight. I can intellectually understand their thought-chain, but I will never truly “grok” it.
So, yeah. Quite frustrated with that stuff today.
Further teacher weirdness: Didn’t get an interview for a position I applied for at a school that I believe would be a better fit for me (same kinds and range of students, but staffed by people more like me). Three out of our four admin team members left the school, leaving us with one experienced member and three newbies. I can’t say more in a public place.
Writer
The search for agent representation continues. So far I’ve had one actual rejection and one “silent rejection,” which means the agent basically says “If you don’t hear from us in X weeks, we’re passing on your submission.” And it’s been twice that time. Still out to several others who have response times of two to six (six! six! six!) months.
So, the search continues. Every few days I decide on someone else to query and send it out there.
In the meantime, work on Remembrance War 2, currently titled The Ceremony of Innocence, proceeds.
Father
My poor daughter is having a rough time in school. It’s getting better, but it’s frustrating to see her struggle with math, as I did. I do my best to help, but it’s hard to maintain my perspective sometimes, and I finally get my dad in ways I never did when he was alive. Wish I could talk to him about it.
Her eighth birthday is coming up this weekend. Looking forward to that.