One Year Later

A new school year has begun, this time finding myself reinvented once again, now as an 8th grade teacher and as a student in an administrative credential program.

Five days of school have now passed - five relatively blissful days, in fact. A stark contrast to my welcome last year, when by day five I was already fully under siege.

Going through my old papers as I set up my new classroom, I rediscovered this poem written as a free choice homework assignment by one of my more clever students. It captures the zeitgeist of last year quite well.

Torture
by J.

The name of my education sensei
is Mr. Darron A.
This is his story
Of how his students sucked his glory
And tortured him at CCPA.

As a new teacher, we tested him
We tried our best to wipe off his grin
The class was successful
In making him vengeful
And bringing him home to some gin.

As we continued with the torment
He put on a good performance
We threw him a bone
He showed how much he'd grown
And we were impressed
How much he progressed.

So now to this day
He was thankful he prayed
Because this was a miracle,
Nothing short of a spectacle
That's how things have changed
And he is still not deranged.