The Harsh Reality Hits!

Four weeks in to substitute teaching, and the harsh reality has hit! I am working nearly every day as a sub and also being dehumanized by students of all ages at that same pace. It enrages me! I loathe being seen not as a teacher or someone who is quite capable of imparting knowledge but as an adult presence to ignore, disrespect, and take advantage of. I don't want to see my students in The Bronx become the statistics that say for reasons including their skin color that they are destined to drop out and live up to being failures clogging society; I have yet to help any but perhaps Matthew (at BLCS) see that. I loathe that I am now working for dollars to pay my bills rather than with passion that inspires others to enjoy learning.

It's finally over!

It's finally over! After four months of workshops, tests, paperwork, etcetera I have finally completed the process for all local school systems to substitute teach and most of the two-page requirements for NY state teacher certification. I can now sub in public, private, charter, Catholic, Islamic, and private schools here. What a long road it has been! At the moment, I still am awaiting the test results for the third of four state tests I took about a month ago and for three mandated workshops to be added to my list of fulfilled requirements for NY state certification. Now, I just have a year's worth of grad school and one more test on special education laws to pass. The next obstacle to overcome will be acquiring scholarships or grants of some kind in order to pay for my master's debt free. I refuse to go into any debt when I know my grades are good enough and my heart/determination strong enough to stay debt free.