Tick Tock

We had an AVID party after school today. It was a rousing success. My sophomores have wanted to have a get together since the beginning of the year to meet the AVID Freshmen and impart their wisdom. I have had so much on my plate that it got put off until today. The Student Council pitched in and paid for pizza and veggies, and the kids came and had a great time. A few of my girls talked about starting an AVID club, others offered help and advice. I was so proud of my kids that I could hardly stand it. When the party ended one of my kids was waiting for me. He said, "Is there any way you can give me a ride home? There are some gangsters waiting for me at the light on the corner and I want to make it home in one piece." I decided that I'd rather break the rule against being alone with students than see him hurt in any way. I knew that he lived in a rough neighborhood, but was unprepared for him to look at my salmon colored shirt and decide that it was not red enough to get me killed (his neighborhood is controlled by the Crips), or ride in the back scrunched down as we drove past the light in question. I love this kid and feel a renewed desire to help my AVID kids do what they need to do in order to change their lives. I want them to have the option of living in a safe neighborhood and for their children to know a life that doesn't involve life or death decisions on their walk home.



On the way to my student's house he asked me, "What do you DO when you leave school?" I replied that I lived my life, cleaned the house, ran errands, took classes at UNLV, etc. He then said, "Do you have kids?" I thought we'd covered this, but when I replied that I did not, in fact, have kids he lectured me for about 5 minutes straight about how old I was getting and that I needed to get to work "popping out some babies before it's too late." Nothing like a 16 year-old kid's perspective to make you feel decrepit and dried up.