Shock, Surprise, and Sadness

After my nightmare experience teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science in that trainwreck urban charter school, I am always amazed at the difference between the public school suburban students and my former beloved terrors. Today's science lesson for sixth graders:

"Have them read pages 55-61 and answer the
questions on page 61. Go over the questions if there is
time."

So I tell the students what to do and.... wait for it.... they do it! I mean, really do it! Suddenly the room is filled with the sounds of adolescent voices taking turns reading the book. Reading the book? What?! I could barely get my students to read the questions, let alone the chapter. In fact, most probably couldn't read the book, having been passed over too many times in a decripite system.

But these kids? "Describe how the motions of gas particles are related to the pressure exerted by the gas." No sweat. Of course it's "as the moving gas particles collide with the walls of their container, they push on the container walls." In the words of Liz Lemon, "A doiii!"

Still, I miss my charter school kids. They have flavor and soul and pizzazz. I miss their dancing and their swagger and their banter. Most of them had to grow up too fast, unfortunately. It wasn't their faults that they were stuck in a charter school that fed their parents a good line and then screwed them over. I wish I could have taken them out of that school and into this district with me. I really, really miss them, but then again I wouldn't be able to stand any more abuse by the administration.