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teaching is hard
like, i know that this is the job for me, but also it’s just really hard, and sometimes, when i’m looking at my grade book, and the thin stacks of work that gets turned in, and kids are flipping out and destroying things and throwing food on my floor, i wonder, like, how did this happen?
or also i know other people who are insanely dedicated and talented teachers who feel completely crushed by their students who are unkind and not thoughtful and don’t see all the things that they do for them.
teaching really is such a tough thing…because it’s intensely personal and taxing…people put so much of themselves into it and then the kids just…are kids.
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Why should I Have To?
On Thursday morning, I woke up, got dressed, packed my lunch and headed off to school like any other day. I got to school, swiped myself in, dropped my lunch off in the lounge and went to my room. I put my school bag down, hung up my coat and stood in the middle of my room, figuring out where to best hide my kids in the event of an active shooter. I should have spent my morning making copies, changing my daily objective on the board or catching up on some grading; but instead I ran through all the scenarios in my head of what would happen if somebody was in the building who wanted to hurt my kids.
I teach in an area where in a single week, we had two code reds from gunshots being fired within a block or two of our school. Two times where I had to turn out my lights and move all my kids away from the door, reminding them that a code red would not have been called if there wasn't a very real threat. I had to remind them that it should be taken seriously because we never know what could be going on either outside, or in our own school, a place where we should be kept safe from harm.
I shouldn't have to spend time worrying over where to best hide my kids in the event of an active shooter. I shouldn't have to check that my door is locked at all times. I shouldn't have to feel my heart pounding in my chest every time I hear the words "code red". As a teacher, I didn't think my job would be a dangerous one.
Don't tell me that arming teachers will solve the problem. I can't even get the school to supply me with batteries to power the keyboards that I use on a daily basis to teach a class that they decided to offer students, what makes you think we have the money to arm every staff member in our building? And even if it was possible, who thinks that I'd be able to shoot the shooter while protecting my kids from harm?
When will enough be enough? When will we put more value into the lives of the children who will one day grow up to be our future? When will teachers and students alike be confident that their school is a safe and violent free space? It's not about mental illness or gun-control, it's about doing right by the children we are raising as teachers, parents, and community members. It's about protecting them at all costs, and giving them the peace of mind knowing that at least their school is a place where they can grow and be safe.
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Second Semester so Far...
So, we are about 3 weeks into the new semester but between snow days, delays, and regular craziness, I feels like we haven't even really gotten started! So... here are a few of my observations so far
My first period (which is now music theory) is quiet and there's always at least 2 people absent a day. Most of them have a pretty ehhh work ethic, so while I'm glad they're quiet, I wish they'd work a little harder.
So far my piano class is going better than last smester. They're more on task and less sassy.
I went from a choir of 14 to a choir of 22 and holy crap! All but one of them sings.
What can I say about middle school other than... eh, middle school. I know I was given the kids with more behavior concerns this semester because the middle school director knows I can manage my classroom. Which, you know, is a compliment but also results in lots of headaches and frustration on my end.
So, that's all I got for now. Stay tuned for more updates and we hopefully will start to get rolling this semester!
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Pray For Me
I sent the old art teacher screen shots of my second semester 6th grade rosters...
Her: "The first one you sent me was my B day."
"Basically"
"Try not to cry."
That's reassuring.
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Welcome!
Hello Tumblr universe and welcome to my page! I just wanted to share a little info about myself and my teaching journey! My name is Veronica Meck-Torres (or Ms.Torres if you're one of my kids) and I currently teach middle and high school music at a small charter school in York Pennsylvania. More specifically, I teach middle school general music, high school piano, concert choir and possibly music theory in the upcoming semester. This is my first year teaching music, but I previously taught toddlers and two year olds at Kindercare Learning Center. I earned my Bachelors of Music Education from Chestnut Hill College in 2015 and am currently in the application process of obtaining my masters from Lebanon Valley College.
My journey at Helen Thackston Charter School has been an adventurous one. I came into this job knowing that it would be tough; many of these kids don't have structure or discipline in their lives, and many of them don't speak much English (thankfully, I am a native Spanish speaker!). Some days, I spend more time redirecting and keeping some sort of order in my classroom than I do teaching. Most days though, I'm amazed at what my students can accomplish when they're not complaining that what I ask them to do is "doin' too much".
So, that's a little about me and my journey as a music teacher. I hope to share my trials and triumphs with other music teachers and hopefuls!
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