Friday, August 27, 2004

Friend in Need

I have a friend that is down on her luck right now. She just graduated in the spring with her Masters in Education. She started off her first week teaching first grade going home and bawling every night. The claims that the kids are not ready to be in first grade. Most don't know how to go to the bathroom by themselves, they don't know their color words, they won't sit and listen to her read a story. Now, this is a girl that is GOOD with children. I have observed her many times babysitting or working at a daycare center. Unlike many of her co-workers, she was obviously qualified to take care of children. Her boss and the parents noticed it too. Many of the parents would ask her to babysit their children. The school she is working at just opened and it is not ready. She has already maxed out a credit card buy $1,000.00 worth of stuff for her classroom, and her boss is asking her to shell out another $500.00. The road is not paved, there is a new principal, and the school is not organized. She said that her little first graders don't get to go to lunch until 11:45am, then they get to STAND IN LINE FOR THIRTY MINUTES!!! They have to be out of the cafeteria at 12:15, so they expect these kids to be patient, and then shove the food down their throats. The play area is all mud and unfinished. When she asked the principal about a curriculum for her students, she was told to "wing it." Yes, that's right, a principal of a school informed one of her teachers to keep the children entertained everyday until the children leave!!! My friend arrives at the school at 6:30 in the morning, does not get a break from the students (she must supervise them during lunch), she has meetings after school until 5pm, gets done preparing for the next day until 10pm, then she is up until about 4am w/ her boyfriend/fiance (that's another story). She isn't getting any sleep and is literally pulling hair out of her head. Her fiance also left her this week when she got a wrong number call on her cell phone. When she wouldn't/couldn't tell him who called, he took the phone, pressed redial and when a guy's voice mail picked up, he left. I have noticed a pattern during their entire relationship. As well as with her past relationships. When she tried to leave her current fiance, he told her that he was the lord of a drug ring and then had people following her for the next week. I'm hoping to spend some time w/ her next week. Any suggestions?