Change is Good

"Change is good" is apparently the slogan for the new '07 Nissan Altima. The commercial begins with a nice-looking chick driving her friends (who are in the back seat) in her new Altima. She's pointing out all the great features of her new ride, and the friends are duly impressed. She slows down to a waiting man, who is the dorkiest thing you've ever seen. "AND THERE'S MY MAN!!" she cries to her friends. The friends exchange looks like they cannot believe this is her boyfriend. After all, her tastes seemed pretty refined only a moment ago. When the boyfriend gets in, he's a totally different person--a very handsome man who looks confident and happy. The announcer says, "Change is good."

This makes me giggle because, well, I just bought a Nissan Altima. And I can assure you, change is good! I didn't get an '07 model, I got a used '02, but the change from my '97 Dodge Avenger with 175,000 miles on it is GOOD! This car is beautiful, probably the prettiest car I've ever owned. It's a sage green metallic color with lots of new technology I've never had in a car of mine. It has two trip odometers, distance to empty, mpg monitor, and other really fun stuff. It's got radio and cruise controls on the steering wheel (which really makes you rethink how you hold the wheel, let me tell you)! I splurged and had a sunroof put in. I felt a little spoiled doing that, but I am soooo glad I had it done! It's a beautiful sunroof. I've only had one other car that had one, and it was also after factory and just a pop-up. This is power and it's simply wonderful. Now all I need is a reason for a good old-fashioned road trip to really get to know my car!

Another change that was good this week is my substitute teaching experience. In March I long-termed for a woman who had a baby. The classes were undisciplined, destroying school property, leaving the room without permission, swearing uncontrollably...a complete nightmare. The week after that, I took a class for a guy who had knee surgery. His class was worse than the new mom's class! He allows the kids to eat in his classroom (which is carpeted) in order to become "friends" with them and ensure that they "like" him. I call bullshit. It's district policy to allow only water in clear bottles in the classroom. They leave wrappers, soda cans, sticky sucker sticks, spills on the desk, and crunchy snacks on the floor to be stepped on and ground into the carpet. One day of this and I became the food police, abolishing any and all munching while I was there. "But Mr. Casey lets us...." I'm not Mr. Casey, now am I?

I had students walk out on me because I took their snacks, kids who wrote on desks about how much of a bitch I am, girls who called me a bitch as they walked away from my "no" answer to their request to go to the bathroom. (Another school policy is that they use the restroom between classes and not during). Talk about having to choose your battles. The day I'm allowing students to grumble, "Bitch!" as they walk away from me is the day I need to rethink using my teaching license as a substitute teacher.

I truly gave some long hard thought to the students of this school district. I thought I'd perhaps take my name off of this school's sub list and go to some other area schools. If nothing else, I wanted to see if the other schools were allowing such disrespect and insubordination in their schools! Holy shit! I wouldn't be going anywhere for a month and I wouldn't be able to sit if I did some of the things these kids did and said to me. When did swearing at teachers and walking out of a classroom become acceptable? I told both the principal and vice-principal I was aghast at the behaviors.

However, with the end of the school year approaching and the tourist season gearing up at the restaurant, I concluded I would let it ride for now. In the fall I will explore other school districts. The bitch is...I can walk to this high school, walk home for lunch, and go back. It's a cheap transportation day, though maybe with my new ride, I'll look at some of the farther-reaching school districts (snicker, snicker). And I subbed yesterday for a guy who I consider a casual friend. We have coaching track in common, and we used to hang out when I long-termed for a colleague who was out for almost a year and a half with cancer. His classes were well-behaved and disciplined. Some of the same kids who have been complete assholes in those other classes were angels in his room! Well, now... Yesterday's experience told me quite a bit about the other teachers. I guess I knew this, but I wondered if part of the problem in this school district was the lax discipline from the higher powers. I'm not sure that it isn't part of the problem, rather I learned that if you are a good teacher, your classroom discipline can override anything that might happen if you referred it to those inept higher powers. Kudos to Mr. B!! You rock! What a difference a day makes.

Yep. The verdict is in. Change is good.