Work is Stressful!

Adulting is hard...

[rant]

You can't make me!

Back to work at school, and I find that not only do I not want to be there this week, but neither does anyone else!  Staff and students are sick, which means I'm going to end up sick, as well as grumpy!  I've never had to argue with so many students!  And the staff is just sick of a lot of the students who just don't care.

It kind of makes me sad, really.  What is so wrong with our culture that our children have no sense of pride in anything, and that they willingly permit themselves to avoid getting an education?  And I'm not talking about knowing historical dates or memorizing scientific theory, I mean learning the problem solving skills that coincide with struggling!  Or how to follow directions.  Or just to simply fight through adversity to achieve one's goals!  I see too many students just throw their hands in the air and say, "I can't do this," when things get hard instead of asking for help.  And when they do ask for help they just whine about how confusing it is instead of letting you help them!

I don't expect every student to be good at math or science or whatever, but to at least give effort.  To try.  To face adversity and complete the tasks before them with pride!  Even if that means trying and failing.  Because we all learn from failure!  I've had plenty of helpings of failure.  I was on academic probation my sophomore year of college because I couldn't pass an accelerated mathematics course as well as a writing class.  Yes!  This future author failed Expository Writing!  I had to retake these classes.  I've been fired from jobs and disciplined for not doing jobs properly.  I've made choices I later regretted due to not making a more beneficial choice.  I am not always proud of my mistakes, but I learned from them.  I persevered through the adversity.  I kept my head up and found a way.  Why?  Because I had to.  Because as a young man and even now as an older (young) man I had bills to pay, responsibilities to fulfil, expectations to reach.  I had goals for myself and still do, and though some are further from reach than others, I keep struggling toward them.  I don't see this in many of the students I work with, and it saddens me.  I want everyone to achieve their dreams.  I want people to be happy and able to take care of themselves.  And I want them to avoid the mistakes I made.

I know what I want is unrealistic, but I won't just give up on them all.  Even the most infuriating student will earn my compassion (once I get over how dumb and frustrating they are).  I want kids to learn things.  Anything.  Preferably legal and harmless things.  But I want them to be willing to engage and be enthusiastic about something!

[/rant]

I hope your career is keeping you engaged and excited.  I do enjoy my job, and most days don't make me feel this way, but today was awful.  Everything bad about what I do was amplified today.  But don't mind me.  I will keep working on what's important to me.  I have a great year ahead of me that will end (not literally but close enough) with my marriage to my wonderful blog editor and fiancee.  (They're the same person by the way, just incase there was confusion).  And I'm going to finish my book!  There's no time like the present, right?

Best wishes!  Thanks for reading my rant!