My job

I love my job. Really.
Sometimes it is difficult. Students who I love in jail, on house arrest, expelled. Students who've been locked up for assult and trafficing who walk past me daily giving me the head bounce, "s'up docta err" or patting me on the shoulder, 'how you doin' docta err' or 'mama, if it wasn't for you... I wouldn't even be here."
Good stuff. Hard sometimes, but good.
The thing about my students and I is we are the same. They sing to me almost every day. We know the same music. We crack the same jokes. Even on difficult days, I laugh (like put my head on my desk and laugh) every day.

You should hear the convos we have:

J: (loudly in a voice that would normally get him kicked out of another room) OH MY JESUS!
me: (pointing to self) naw, baby.... Dr. Err...
J: OH MY DOCTA ERR!

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students attempting to riff on someone who is arguing with someone else.
J: You're beefin'
J: You're beefin like...like... a cow!
J: You're beefin like...a steak!
Me: (passin out papers) Baby. Get it right. They beefin like Burger King.
J: AHHHHH!!!! MAMA!!!!!!

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D: (making a fist and grinning from ear to ear) Ma, you don't know. Some day you might just drive me over the edge. I might just snap and have to lay a beat down.
me: yeah. and when you do, baby, I'll get you a step stool so you can reach me.
D: disolves into laughter. that's a good one, Mama

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I also had a week where one student wanted to be the first African American do things. Things like give the answer to a question, write on my board, leave the class.

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Err: So folks, one of the things that the colonist bogarted from the Native Americans was corn. And that was a big deal, not only to keep them alive, but when they started to export corn products. Shoot, just corn bread was worth the price of admission.
kid: I don't like corn bread
C: Dude. You ain't black if you don't like cornbread.
Err: Really, C? Thats what decides it? Really?
C: Yeah. You know it is!
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