Inner City Teachers Must Be a Bunch of Masochists

After a great deal of thought, I have come to the conclusion that all inner city teachers are masochists. We all must just love and get pleasure out of pain. We keep coming back for more day in and day out. And many of us, like me the teacher in purple, enjoy the pain.

I think there is a sick side of me that loves the frustration of fighting against the world. You know what I mean. Fighting with poverty that engulfs the children that enter your doors. Fighting with the lack of supplies and books that always seem to get to the special ed classroom last. Fighting against the violence and gangs that fill the streets around your second home- school. Yet, we come, we teach, we take the child who is pitching a fit. And we understand them. We understand they are lashing out at us because we are all they have to lash out on. We understand that their bellies rumble and their minds crave. And so we take the pain. We take the tantrums, the hardships and we blossom in that environment.

I could not imagine teaching for a long period of time in any place where I was not in touch with the masochists I am. You see I do not find pain to be pleasure in any arena, but in school, I accept it, expect it, and thrive in it. I think all of us who “get our summer off” (you know that is how the world sees us- 8-3 and holidays and summers off – yeah right) are able to deal, work and flourish in this pain.

And for you that might be out there reading this – for you the first year or second year teacher who is banging their head against the wall please remember, tomorrow you are the one that changes these kids world. The pain is worth it, the work is worth it. And in time (like those that like to get tied up) you will find pleasure in the smallest of smiles and in the littlest of happiness among the hardship of pain.


Around the world and back again~


The teacher in purple