Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug

I have discovered that being a teacher is often the epitome of the proverbial roller coaster ride. There are some days when I question being a teacher in general and teaching in an urban public high school. Then there are the days when I am reminded why.

The past few days have been rough. We've had a number of fights in and around school and a teacher got hit yesterday. We have a high failure rate in our freshman class and 1/3 of my students are failing. I encountered a former student of mine begging for change recently. But just when things were as low as can be, my mood skyrocketed today.

Ermelinda, the captain of the debate team, called me this morngin to share the news that she has been awarded a full 4-year scholarship to Pomona College in California. It's the kind of news that brightens anyone's day and must be shared. I've already told several other teachers who know Ermelinda and it's one of those occasions that makes me smack my forehead and say, "that's why you do this you dummy".