Posts tagged Chicago
citizen kerry
Someday i'm going to understand America. Until then, I have this blog.
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alina tells me about being homeless and pregnant in america
This is part of an interview series, in which I get to learn about America from you. I’m happy that it’s back after a summer hiatus!
Alina, age 37, grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah (which she describes as “neither pleasant, nor a grove”), the third of seven in a Mormon family. She now lives in North Carolina, where she cares for her disabled mother and is on a break from Mormonism. Alina was generous enough to share her journey—including the time she was pregnant and homeless—and I hope you find her story as inspiring and illuminating as I did.
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a teacher strikes back
Via Melissa:
“I need to not read the comments in response to the strike authorization vote. They leave me more frustrated than ever.
According to them I’m overpaid, unsuccessful, and sit around and complain all day.
I would really love to see these people sit in my 90 degree classroom (no air conditioning obviously) with 30 cranky teenagers all day.
I would also love to see how they feel about having to spend about 150 dollars of their paycheck each month on random supplies. And I’m not talking big things. I’m talking pens. I know when I worked in the corporate world I never had to purchase my pens to use at work. I most def didn’t have to purchase them for other people like students.
Or how they would respond when they see a student go to sleep during a standardized test that they know will reflect their performance because the student just doesn’t feel like taking it that day.”
—I hope you read the whole thing.
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melissa tells me what it’s like to teach in chicago
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Melissa (daughter of Charles!) was born and raised in Iowa. She currently teaches in Chicago, in a high school that has been deemed a “drop-out factory,” where 100% of her students qualify for free or reduced lunch. I’ve always thought about becoming a teacher, and was curious to learn the realities of her job. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did! And if you’re considering this profession, you should definitely check it out!
