Delta Autumn

Since the program started, I have thought to myself (and expressed to others) how much work I didn't realize was involved in teaching.  It was predicted early on that I would find a new respect for teachers, and these predictions have proven accurate.  As I read through page after page of Delta Autumn, I came across new challenges of teaching that I had not even thought of and in one week, I have found that the amount of work that goes into teaching is substantial.  Reading Delta Autumn was an even more sobering testament to this.  

The book opened with the educational history of Mississippi.  The challenges that plague the state today are very much a result of the long and storied segregation of its past.  These pages provided a brief but in depth look at the past, and set up the framework for addressing the current problems.  After this background was provided, the book went straight into the first week of school.  Put simply--there is so much to prepare for.  Supplies to be equipped with, policies to hold fast to, people to meet and know, things to have in order and the list goes on and on.  I am thankful to be reading and knowing this now, but again, it is a lot to take in and will be a lot to work through.  

After the background information was laid, and the first week preparations were established, the remainder of the book spoke to what happens when you're actually in the classroom and in your first year of teaching.  Managing your classroom, your student's parents, and the needs of each student are all big elements of the teaching profession.  These elements are all big, and seem to be particularly demanding in this type of academic environment.  For those who haven't read the book, here is a very telling excerpt:

"Drugs are bad.  Drugs in schools are worse, and they may be pervasive in your school.  If you see something that looks like a drug deal, it probably is.  Marijuana and crack cocaine are probably the most common illegal substances at school.  What's odd is, nearly everyone knows the dealers, including your administration.  In some cases, the dealer's parents know.  You face a daunting and complex battle should you choose to intervene in every situation involving drug deals." (Delta Autumn, 58)

Now I do not consider myself to be a naive person.  I have been sure to ask a lot of questions of a lot of people, and I had a good idea of what I was signing up for when I was applying for this program.  I also have worked in inner city and underprivileged situations in the past, and am no stranger to the many hardships and addictive vices that plague humanity.  That said, however, I can't help but still be a little alarmed at the real life scenarios that I will undoubtedly face.  I already foresee that a challenge will be keeping an optimistically realistic attitude toward my work and students, as it is clear that there is a lot of potential to grow very jaded and skeptical.  Fighting that will be a challenge in itself, but I have to believe that overcomming that battle will pay dividends for my professional, mental, and emotional health.  

In my conclusion, I'll leave you with a statement that was told to me last week as we were talking about classroom management. One of the second year teachers said, "I just don't let them go to the bathroom, unless they are pregnant, if they are pregnant you have to let them go, but besides that I don't allow it".  Wow. 

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