The legal system bothers me.  I just found out today that NYC has banned any condom demonstrations in the classroom since 1995.  At the same time, however, the schools are required to incorporate HIV/AIDS and sex safety into the curriculum.  Dubbayou tee eff.  I've done 'wrap your weenie day' a few times now where I unroll a condom on my arm while discussing how to put them on and what types of contraceptives protect against babies and against diseases.  Then later all the parents thank me for sparing them from an awkard lecture.  But now I find out that it's ILLEGAL?  The NY Civil Liberties Union is hoping Obama's hatred for abstinence only education will spark the NYC DOE into changing the policy.  Most people in the school didn't even know (including my boss) but now if I continue doing it and ONE parent complains, then I'll probably get some sort of letter in my file - EVEN THOUGH the school agrees with condom demonstrations since students want to - and need to - learn about safe sex.  Little liberties like sex ed is one of the reasons that I LOOOOOOVE living in the Northeast and now I find out NY is one step closer to being a red state.  Way to go.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  ANGER.

What also angers me is how much the students just love wrap your weenie day.  Even if I have the most ridiculous motley crew of adolescents, they all are enraptured, and ask lots of serious questions.  The questions sometimes sound ridiculous, but then I notice that other students are nodding along and I realize that these teenagers have never learned basic things that you should learn in middle school health.  EVERYONE wants to learn this information and they all want to know how contraceptives work and a few always stay afterwards to ask me questions that they're too embarrassed or shy to ask a parent or doctor about.  It pisses me off so much that due to one chancellor's regulation 14 years ago that I have to deprive my students of learning about something that is so essential to their own lives.  You can tell teens all you want that condoms fit anyone, but you would never believe the looks (and sounds) of amazement when I roll one down my arm.  Any idiot looking into my classroom would be able to instantly know that students are learning and interested in learning and now I have to cut out that lesson??  Ridiculous.

Despite living in en why city for almost 2 years, I had only like, my 2nd or 3rd encounter with a crazy person.  Some crackhead white trash woman with a gut hanging out of too-tight clothing was blocking me from walking down the sidewalk and then started batting at my scarf.  And laughing.  Her big-black-guy posse was laughing too and doing that talking after you thing.  "What'd you say?!  Get back here!"  That response always bothers me.  Oh?  You want me to come back?  Sure - what were you saying now?  Yeah, I'll turn right around so you can play with my scarf more like it's a fucking cat toy.   Are the buttons on my jacket shiny too?

On a more positive note.  Just had parent teacher conferences last night and this afternoon.  Kicked its ass.  I hear about all these teachers getting wicked confrontational parents, but nobody's done that yet.  Then again, I'm so super organized that before the parents can say anything I just throw all this data and numbers and grades at them.  While I'm writing down the kid's test scores, lab grades, hw average, and overall grades for the entire year thus far, I tell the parents all about how Timmy comes to class late every day or chats with his pal.  So mom and dad are overwhelmed with the information and turn to the kid who ends up getting all flustered and embarrassed.  Go me.  I ROCK.  Just like how yesterday I accidentally drew on a kid's face and accidentally nailed a kid in the crotch.  Then today I told a mother (in front of the guilty party) that the only way her daughter could be louder is if she brought pots and pans into class and started banging them together.  Girl thought it was funny.  Mom was unamused.  I'm still awesome though.