Archive for January, 2010
January 31, 2010
I left a little late today and noticed a squad car parked just beyond the driveway that leads to the rehab community. One of my students — at least I think it was Roland — was standing with his back to me. Two police officers stood on either side of him and his hands were cuffed behind him which made him appear much broader in the back. The door to the car was open and the police were about to push him inside. I had to pass them on the way out but didn’t look at Roland. This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen one of my students arrested. It’s an odd sight but I always remind myself it’s better than seeing them in a coffin. Roland was a quiet, hardworking student. He had come in for about an hour on Friday. On Fridays I play Oldies during class if the students have been quiet all week. Shooby Dooby.
Update: It seems it wasn’t Roland being arrested last Friday. In trying to be discreet I made an assumption. I can jump to conclusions as quick as anyone with our prison population, something I have spent a decade trying to temper. Turns out, a fellow was trying to get into the rehab unauthorized. Beyond our gates is food, shelter, safety and community. As for me lesson learned once again.
Posted in arrested, drug recovery, education, parolees, rehab, students | Leave a Comment »
January 29, 2010
Carlos is excited. He will take his GED exam on Tuesday. He’s spent 250 hours preparing for the test in my school. But as he reminds me I am not enough help when it comes to math. He has fellow residents at the rehab helping him around the clock. He got a hold of a white-board erasable marker and is practicing pre-algebra on the mirror in his room. I imagine them all gathered around the mirror: “A minus-minus is a plus. Any number to the zero power is one.” And you thought addicts only used mirrors to snort cocaine? Carlos giggles when he gets a question right, as if you just gave him candy. I’m anticipating his big day too. Stay tuned, the test is just around the corner.
Posted in drug recovery, education, GED, parolees, rehab, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 26, 2010
My mom called today a little panicked. It seems someone had taken her ATM card number and drained her checking account. When I hear about such violations against my own family I think of my job and how I have to look past my students’ iniquities in order to help them. My job requires blinders rather than non-judgement. The blinders are in place because when the adults I teach walk through my door they are students first, not criminals and drug addicts. I don’t treat drug addiction, I help improve math skills. I have a theory that math can help in recovery from drugs because math requires a drug addict to use a very specific part of the brain that is in counterpoint to the dopamine-releasing, pleasure-seeking area of the limbic system addicts have been accessing for most of their lives. More math, less meth. Make sense? When one of my students tells me they are bored, I say great, welcome to the real world where dollars add up because you earned them.
Posted in atm fraud, drug recovery, meth, parolees, pink elephants, rehab, students, teacher | Leave a Comment »
January 22, 2010
I wonder if I have become more open to hearing student stories since starting this blog? Today Wilson actually asked if he could come in to speak with me on my lunch break. I probably would have turned him down, lunch breaks are sacred to teachers, but he recently hand cleaned all the chairs in my school and I feel listening is the least I can do. It must be stressed here that my school though located inside a drug rehab is not part of the therapeutic process. My students come to me to learn math and reading.
So I’m eating my taco salad prepared by the on site kitchen and Wilson tells me he didn’t make it to the solar paneling class he recently enrolled in. Instead he smoked marijuana on the premises in his room. He also told me he recently opened up about some early childhood abuse, spoke about it to staff. I gave him my whole attention. He told me his mom was his role model even if she wasn’t always there for him. Mostly, he seemed humble always saying others have it much worse. I hope he goes back to learn a trade. Fear of success is big in these guys. It’s rare to hear about success but even rarer to see it sustained.
Posted in drug recovery, education, parolees, rehab, students, teacher | Leave a Comment »
January 20, 2010
This is my tenth entry. I’m pretty sure this is a solo venture. If you are out there and have read any of my entries please leave me a comment, just a note to let me know this is different from keeping a private journal. Today my student Terrence wrote a letter, a response to his mother whom he hadn’t heard from in over a year. Terrence is a transsexual, male to female, and one of my favorite students at the rehab. He is moody and boldly honest and he out-dresses us all. He wrote that he didn’t have anywhere to go when his time at the rehab is up. Sometimes I wonder if he relapsed and returned because our community is a safe haven for him. He tried to explain to his mother that life is worth living, that he was hurt in the past when she hadn’t been there but didn’t hold on to resentment. I loved the end of his letter where he wished everything good for her, a nice home, a good job and a car.
Posted in adult education, drug recovery, education, parolees, rehab, students, teacher | 1 Comment »
January 18, 2010
A new student says he has a low reading level but makes his money counting cards; says he has been kicked out of several casinos, can count up to 5 decks at once. Meth and more meth. Carly told me she had her pregnancy terminated because the baby wasn’t developing. Rain and more rain. Even adults need to be read to. I might read The Little Prince to my students, the perfect antidote to Avatar. Hope and more hope.
Posted in adult education, education, parolees, students, teacher, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 15, 2010
My students often rely on me as a confidant, though we are taught nothing is confidential in our line of work. Somehow the fact that I am not parole or corrections puts them at ease. At the rehab students often tell me how they are doing, they check in. Today A.J. told me he was very unhappy, thinking of leaving and using, in this case crack cocaine. I steered him toward support, peer counselors and big brother types that are always available to talk to. Isn’t rehab great. He came back later to work on his spelling and thanked me for encouraging him to talk to someone. Another student Cory came in, his face all flushed and pink from crying. He admitted in my ear that he told on his friend who was being thrown out of the treatment center. Seems Cory told staff this ‘friend’ had brought a gun with him to the rehab. “You did the right thing,” I told Cory.
Remind me to put ballistic vest on my wish list for my birthday.
Posted in education, parolees, teacher, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 11, 2010
It’s Monday and the week begins. While walking around the class I notice Shawna is lying face down on the floor to the right of her chair. I run to her and shake her shoulders lightly. “Are you okay?” I implore. She turns her head and says, “Yes, I was just looking for a nut that rolled underneath my desk.”
Then Manny comes in saying he has sad news. His sister’s boyfriend stabbed her six times and killed her seven-year-old son. She survived with minor wounds and the other seven children escaped unharmed. This horror story may be unimaginable to us but for my parolee population, it is part of everyday life. I encouraged Manny to find others he could talk to in the community.
Before the day was over Joe told us how he worked at a local dairy farm during the day while still in prison. He explained in detail how he inseminated the cows and delivered calves. He told us how dairies operate around the clock. His favorite part of the job was taking care of the calves, setting up their formula and watching them grow.
My students give me so much to think about. I often think — what do I teach them? I aspire to teach the value of an open mind and heart. I hope I teach them that education is a way out of poverty, drugs and violence.
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January 7, 2010
I’m not sure why I keep posting pictures of cake when this blog is supposed to be about parolees. I returned to work today after a glorious 7 days off.
Today at the rehab was what we call ‘donations day.’ That means all kinds of weird near or out of date food items donated from markets and agencies show up in the community kitchen. Once a truckload of soda was dropped off and everyone got a couple liters. It was like your Italian uncle hijacked a truck and gave it to the criminals. Today saw a flurry of Christmas cookies from local markets. One student handed me a dozen cupcakes topped with green and red sprinkles. I started to hand them out till I saw the discard date of some time last September. “Here, you guys decide,” I said handing them the goods. Kitchen workers, parolees who work volunteering in the kitchen, are the first to spot donations. They are always so sweet, bringing me first choice of out of date yogurt and stale animal crackers. As a rule I never eat donations and I try to bring my lunch. There is free fruit and water available around the clock. I should try to honor this in my 2010 diet.
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January 6, 2010
Blog is an anagram for glob. That’s how I am feeling about this process. Who is my audience? Internet savvy parolees looking around for social services who stumble upon my site because they are trying to find out how to obtain cheap calling cards? I read some other globs for inspiration. Many post someone they admire, a sort of you are nobody till you know this somebody column. I’m not sure but I think you might be interested in knowing about an obscure teacher, Piper Prezant, who helped thousands of parolees re-enter society. Piper is the author of this glob. Piper once handwrote a gossip rag about celebrities and distributed it on her block; it mainly featured Liza Minelli. She was 12 and there were no subsequent editions.
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