Sick Day Blues

Last Friday, one of my students went home sick with fever, sore throat, etc. By Friday night, I had a scratchy throat. I went in to teach Saturday school and, aside from my sore throat, the only symptom I could pinpoint that I had was that I felt insane. One of the kiddos stared at me and said, "Ms. Güerita, you look like you fixin' ta cry." I immediately burst into tears. I made it to the end of the session and my friend/co-worker was going to drive me home. Only, she herded me near the principal's office on a pretense and they all ambushed me and made me to go the emergency care. I ended up sobbing in front of everyone and I might be a little mortified.

At the emergency care, they did exactly what I predicted and ran a strep test and wrote me a scrip for antibiotics. I was negative for strep, so the antibiotics were of no use. I was pronounced a sad victim of the flu and told to lie down and drink a lot and please make your co-pay now. I am so broke. At least I know why I felt insane. My temperature was 102.

Anyway, I meant to update this thing days ago, but today is the first day I have been able to walk. I am not going to school until Friday. Esperanza just called me because she does not believe the other teachers' updates on my wellbeing and needed to check for herself. She is very impressed by my croaking voice and says she will give a full report to the 4th grade. I love that kid.

Last week, pre-plague, was interesting. We had a serious Mean Girls problem with the girls. It culminated with me rounding up all the girls in 4th grade during ancillary and taking them to my room for a discussion. I told them some of the things other girls had said to me/about me when I was their age, and then I told them some of the horrible things I had said to/about other girls in return. And how ashamed I was and how much I regretted it. I don't think anyone has ever tried this particular tactic on them before. Half seemed shocked, and the other half cried. They all ended up apologizing and Esperanza (who was, of course, at the center of the conflict) wrote me a letter the next day. The letter was the most interesting part, for me. She said that she liked how I try to help them solve their problems instead of just getting them in trouble. I don't think that my discussion with them was particularly life-altering or inspiring or anything, but that was a nice letter to get.

I just got a phone call informing me that three of my kiddos were suspended today. Dammit.