Oh Christy,
who was the teacher
who provoked you?
Who was the teacher
who shredded your confidence,
made you feel powerless,
alone,
stupid?
.
Who?
.
For surely somewhere,
you sustained a deep hurt
that is still a festering wound,
that causes you to lash out
like an injured dog,
irrationally,
deflecting your pain with today’s power.
Some time ago,
there was a hurt,
that we are paying for.
.
Christy,
A counselor
would be cheaper.
.
.
.
It’s just a theory. But it would explain a lot.
Shawn L. Bird 
There is hurt and there is Hurt. How we accept it and navigate through it is how we become who we are.
Yes, but hopefully you don’t take out your Hurt on an entire profession during negotiations on your personal vendetta.
Hmm, I could name a few who called us stupid, good-for-nothing, might get numbers after your name….. and they say words can’t hurt us 😦
That’s a shame.
I know that I’ve said things to kids that they completely misinterpret and flip around. No matter how I try to explain what I was actually saying, they stick to their opinion that they were being insulted. i.e. Comments on a work on an individual assignment is not a commentary on your long-term potential. I recently heard of a kid coming to my current school whose mother was uncomfortable because “she and he hate each other.” I met the kid, and while they’re vaguely familiar, I have no memory of any incidents in the class room or with the kid personally. Kids get weird ideas in their heads because of their natural narcissism that are just wrong interpretations of the actual situation. What can you do?
Yea, but you wouldn’t be throwing chalk at them ,rapping them with a duster, knocking them into the bin, or knocking there heads together! Teaching has come a long way since those good old bad old days! Not teachers are the same 😉
Well, I have definitely have to fight the urge to throw things now and then! lol I do recall those chalk throws in my youth- a bullet to the desk that would bring the kid to cognizance of the room as it shattered. We don’t have chalk anymore. I’ll bet white board markers would hurt as they slid across the desk.
My father has horrible memories of school with Christian Brothers who would throw kids up against walls.
A professional environment, respect, and salary make all the difference. You get people of quality in a profession when you support them, and the system, adequately.
I like this. However, I would add the word “still” to the line, THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR.
No. Because we as teachers are currently being attacked by Christy. It’s about how she is refusing to negotiate right now.
Well written, such a testament to what is unknown yet assumed.
Or not so much assumed as hypothesized…
fair enough
paying for another’s hurt is much too commonplace
It is, rather.
Very unfortunate.
This is good, it has me interested. If I can give any recommendation, I would say try to chop some unnecessary words. My personal preference (and I’ll reiterate personal, this is what I like) is brevity in poetry.
Things like making ‘shredded’ into shred, and ‘made you feel powerless’ into made you powerless, or taking out for in ‘for surely somewhere’. Less words creates less distraction for the image.
Good stuff, I’ll look forward to seeing more.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Shawn, I’m wondering how many readers are wondering “Could I be Christy?” Not that I am seeking affirmation…. OK did I make you mad?
No secrets here. THIS is Christy: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/03/bc-teachers-dispute-christy-clark-strike_n_4718340.html She has refused to allow real negotiations, so the BC Teachers are on strike, with no end in sight. Refusing to abide by Supreme Court and United Nations rulings that declare her unconstitutional. It’s never good when any one or any government thinks they are above the courts. That is when rebellions happen.
My mother had a word for people like her — Dunderhead!
Good word. 🙂
Dear Shawn Bird: you rock. That is all.
p.s. > that’s me http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=384612
We’re in a team now. A team of awesome, kick ass teachers who will NOT sit by and passively watch our province get run into the ground on the backs of future generations.
Back off, Christy. You’re making me use my angry teacher voice, and I’ll be honest, in three years of teaching you’re the ONLY idiot to get me to this point. The kids are amazing, THEY don’t make me mad, ever. You? Oh boy. You’re a piece of work.
Thanks Nicole. I agree.
Can you say, General Strike? I think September should bring one.
BC Fed of Labour should be rattling cages about this!