refusing to love them into poverty

"Let's feel sorry for them because they are poor, Latino and live with bullets wizzing past their heads. They have a enough to deal with; teachers shouldn't shove education down their throats.''

Sorry-----Bulls#%*@.

I thought I'd start out with something controversial, but common in schools. Poverty-stricken districts seem to baby and love our kids to the point that they students simply are not learning.

Now, I am new to teaching and I won't pretend to be an expert so this is an opinion-ridden post. My 7th graders are reading at a 4th grade reading level on a good day. Good Day. Overhauling our school is the name of the game so the usual moans and groans in any given classroom across the US are multiplied by at least 100 in the school I'm at. These kids are hloding on to an absurd self invented and teacher propelled reality that they are stupid and hold on to "color the duck" activities for dear life.

I'm not saying that my kids are the only ones in the world, but it is consistant across the board. I hate to complain, just frustrated.

I refuse to love them into poverty. I refuse to give them color the duck activities. I will teach. They will learn.