Welcome back, Kotter
Submitted by Rollie Hawk on Sun, 01/22/2006 - 22:02.
Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around.
Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)
Yeah we tease him a lot cause we've hot him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Okay, this song is a little harsh. But it's funny how much the Kotter analogy applies to me.
I'm going to be teaching a couple evening classes this semester at the college where I used to work. Nothing major - just a computer class and a social studies class. Thinking about taxes coming up and bills that need paid down prompted me to pay a visit to the college and see if something was open. As usual, there was something needing a teacher.
That's one of the few jobs I've had that I have a lot of good things to say about. Plus, my boss there is one of my favorite people ever (no, he doesn't read blogs so I'm not sucking up).
Classes start Tuesday for me. I won't be teach "college" classes, but rather alternative high school classes like I did before only on a much more limited basis. In other words, I'll be teaching "sweathogs" of a sort like Kotter did.
I was surprised when I started teaching there a few years ago how much I loved it. Unlike Kotter, I was never a "sweathog" myself. Well, more accurately, I didn't know I was one until after I got out of school.
What's odd about working with kids who don't quit fit into the round peg-holes the public schools offer is seeing what they rarely see about themselves. Most of the time, they've been told how bad they are at school and how they are trouble makers. And the majority learn to believe it.
The thing I ultimately try to get across to them is that not fitting in at high school isn't exactly a character flaw in itself. A lot of the folks who just love high school and fit in perfect never really leave it, at least in their minds.
Besides, just look at the most successful people now and in the past. All great men and women in history were troublemakers, boat-rockers, and just generally had a way of making just about everyone mad at them at one time or another. And I'd be willing to be many of them hated their school, their teachers, and every silly "rule" that existed with no real purpose.
I try to remind myself of that every day. That way, I never forget that there is hope for even the "worst" of us.
Your dreams were your ticket out.
Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around.
Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)
Yeah we tease him a lot cause we've hot him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Okay, this song is a little harsh. But it's funny how much the Kotter analogy applies to me.
I'm going to be teaching a couple evening classes this semester at the college where I used to work. Nothing major - just a computer class and a social studies class. Thinking about taxes coming up and bills that need paid down prompted me to pay a visit to the college and see if something was open. As usual, there was something needing a teacher.
That's one of the few jobs I've had that I have a lot of good things to say about. Plus, my boss there is one of my favorite people ever (no, he doesn't read blogs so I'm not sucking up).
Classes start Tuesday for me. I won't be teach "college" classes, but rather alternative high school classes like I did before only on a much more limited basis. In other words, I'll be teaching "sweathogs" of a sort like Kotter did.
I was surprised when I started teaching there a few years ago how much I loved it. Unlike Kotter, I was never a "sweathog" myself. Well, more accurately, I didn't know I was one until after I got out of school.
What's odd about working with kids who don't quit fit into the round peg-holes the public schools offer is seeing what they rarely see about themselves. Most of the time, they've been told how bad they are at school and how they are trouble makers. And the majority learn to believe it.
The thing I ultimately try to get across to them is that not fitting in at high school isn't exactly a character flaw in itself. A lot of the folks who just love high school and fit in perfect never really leave it, at least in their minds.
Besides, just look at the most successful people now and in the past. All great men and women in history were troublemakers, boat-rockers, and just generally had a way of making just about everyone mad at them at one time or another. And I'd be willing to be many of them hated their school, their teachers, and every silly "rule" that existed with no real purpose.
I try to remind myself of that every day. That way, I never forget that there is hope for even the "worst" of us.