ON STRIKE!

The French love to go on strike. Teachers were on strike awhile ago, firemen have been on strike for awhile (interesting that while they have the ‘ON STRIKE’ sign taped to the front of their trucks we only see them when their sirens are blaring and they’re zooming through traffic), I swear our internet company goes on strike every few days, and this past week I joined the ranks. Darcie, the Z School teacher, went on strike. I recognize the irony of it. Shouldn’t a school named after Zion function under the mantra of ‘one heart’ and ‘one mind’? Yes. But I was totally desperate, and like all other strikers I was scraping up some power when there didn’t seem any other way to get it! We had hit a wall with school. There was a lot of distraction, goofing off, an unwillingness to learn, and more than enough moaning and groaning. This has always been a challenge, but it hit an all-time high when we re-engaged after our trip. I was tired of threatening a lost summer making up school; I was tired of getting mad. Because I was at wit’s end school wasn’t enjoyable for me or for them. So I went on strike. I was serious, too.

The girls were a little uneasy. They knew the implication was doing 1st and 3rd grade next year. I was uneasy for the same reason! But I stood my ground. I want them to take more responsibility for the success of school this year. In the few days off I also recognized ways in which I wasn’t being very respectful of them. I realized my own contributions to what wasn’t working. It was insightful.

Both Tennie and Adele individually requested a private meeting to find out what it would take for me to teach again. We talked of the respect I expected from them, and the changes I was going to make to show more respect as their teacher. I also gave them 10 days each. They can wake up and choose not to do school on any given day up to 10 days (including sick days). I’m willing to do that many make-up days during the summer months. But if they use more than 10 days I’m done teaching. And, every day they get two warnings. On the third warning they forfeit one of their 10 days. They agreed to the terms. We start back up on Monday.