Will My Name be Shouted Out?: Part One.

Before:
I'm curious as to see where this book will go.  I know it's about teaching in inner city schools, but that idea alone has so many possibilities.  I've only even gone to school in the suburbs with minimal crime, and a willingness and excitement to learn for most of the students.  To me, the city reminds me of being overcrowded, dirty, and filled with crime, but how would that affect the schools?  Better yet, the children?

After:
My first thought after reading this chapter was the movie Freedom Writers, in which Hilary Swank's character is a teacher who is not used to this environment.  I have never been involved with a situation like this ever.  Sure, in my high school people got into fights, but no one ever spoke about the abuse they got from their fathers at home, or walking home alone being scared as someone was following them.  The idea that I could potentially be a teacher in this sort of environment makes me a little nervous.  However, the idea that I could potentially make a difference in a child's life (the whole point I want to become a teacher) would make all the difference.  Another thing that shocked me, was the teachers relationship with the student.  It almost seemed like a war zone in instances such as the three girls locking themselves in the closet, and the girl shouting obscenities through the classroom door.  The majority of teachers came back with insult or violence of their own.  Lucky for me, I had never had a classroom experience like that and have truly enjoyed most of the teachers I've had.  That being said, I know that when I am a teacher, I have to take into consideration the fact that every one of my students comes from a different background and has had a different life.  My job nonetheless is to help motivate them to be the best the can be.