My second job

Even though I am a teacher and make scads of moneys all the time (As the kids say) I do feel the need to work a 2nd and 3rd part time job, just to keep me in the name brand Mac and Cheese at the grocery store. 

My second job is after school as a tutor at a local children's home.  This home is considered an emergency shelter and they take in children from abusive homes.  None of the children are in the shelter because of something they did.  They are not juvenile delinquents.  They are good kids in really bad situations.  These kids are also placed in our school system while they are in the children's home so I see the kids at school and at the home when I tutor. 

For the last 3 years I have worked with one student in particular.  He spent 3 years in this home and has finally been ADOPTED!  I am so happy for him.  He was a great kid in a horrible situation.  I know the couple who adopted him and he couldn't be in a better place.   I do miss him though because he moved to a new school district. 

Yesterday I worked with a new 4th grader.  We practiced his spelling words, he did pretty well and only missed 3.  Today he was gone.  Sadly this happens a lot.  Kids may come and go within a week.  Some like my former student are there for years. 

Today I worked with a new 3rd grader.  He was also in my library class yesterday.  He seems really sweet, but he hates school.  Who can blame him?  He's new, he lives in a children's shelter and all the kids know it, and he has a pretty bad facial scar around his mouth.  I'm not allowed to ask a lot of questions about the kids I work with due to privacy laws, but I found out from his teacher that the scars are from burns from battery acid.  I don't know if it was an accident or someone purposefully hurt this child, but either way that is repulsive.  How does a parent do that or allow that to happen to a child?

I know when I get home and look at my children, I really hope they can appreciate the fact that they have a home and parents who love them.