A Case of Synnonym Confusion

The counselors at my school are putting together a focus group of students to address some middle school issue or other. They sent around a questionnaire asking students if they would be interested in joining said focus group.

One of my students became immediately terrified and said "Why would we want to join one of those? Isn't that what Hitler did to the Jews?"

No, son. Those are called concentration camps.

The good news is I snapped.

Dead dads and shitty schedules made me very, very tired. Maybe it was just the dead dad that made my work life seem so shitty, but whatever caused it, I've been a terrible teacher for an entire semester. Teaching without passion is like drinking without getting drunk. There's just no point.

I would like to announce that the despression cloud has lifted. In a glorious display of sarcasm, anger and self-righteousness, my desire to live passionately returned. Last Friday I walked into my boss' office and (very loudly) announced that he had allowed his ego to superceed what was best for kids. I also added that his sloppy handling of school operations was not only unfair to students, but illegal. After my berrating monologue directed at my seated boss, I took a deep breath, felt the sweat that had pooled in various areas of my body and prepared to be told to quietly return to my room and be a team player. Instead, a look of panic fell upon is face and he... apologized.

I feel so alive.