Stories

I started my second practicum placement this week, this time in a grade 2 class. So far, it’s been a great experience. Once again, I am fortunate to have an experienced, first-rate Associate Teacher. He cares about the kids and their lives and manages and teaches them well: I’m looking forward to learning from him.
Sadly, the stories and backgrounds of the students have changed little. I am in the same school as I was before, so it makes sense: similar situation, different kids. Last week, the class had 20 students, this week, it has 19: CAS took one of them away (he came from a family of 7 kids: the same father, 6 different mothers). I was talking to my Associate today, and was saddened and appalled to hear the story of another one of my students – the typical struggling, frequently off-task boy, but not a bad kid. He comes from a family of four children – two girls, two boys. Recently, his mom, a single mother, got a new boyfriend from another town a few hours away. Said boyfriend told her that he would like her to move in with him: the girls were welcome to join her, the boys were not. And so, she joined him. The boys were left here in Kingston.
As I understand it, they are now being cared for by a previous boyfriend, not their father.
It changes my perspective.