Grateful for the small stuff

I meant to title this post "Addendum 43b" because the kid making sandwiches at Arby's today was one of my students who's been out sick for the last 4 days, but is still handling people's food. He may have just been running the register... I delusionally hope. I digress.

After a long day of dealing with all the crud in my kids' lives, I just feel really grateful that I'm not in any of their shoes. Two of the other teachers decided to call the sheriff about one girl's home situation because she comes in and tells all 3 of us everyday about how she spent all night taking care of her alcoholic mother. I think they made the right decision, but her life still isn't going to get much easier in the near future. I'm having to kick one student out of my class because she's just mentally snapped beyond the point where I can keep her in my class and try to help her because she's exploding every day all over everyone; I just lost another one who got arrested and will apparently be staying for awhile, and just this week figured out that my favorite underpriveliged hot shot can't read. He's good at playing things off and covering it up... either that or I'm just slow because he's been in my class since the start of the school year and I just now figured it out. I can't get him any special ed services because the district doesn't want to take on any more cases with the impending budget cuts, but the good news is that my inclusion teacher is willing to take him to her office and read tests and things out loud to him so he can at least do them... and he's willing to get over his pride enough to accept that help, so maybe this time around he will pass the class!