Down for the Count

Friday I was not feeling well all day at school. By the end of the school day I could barely drive home. I fell into my bed, slept for two hours, woke up and promptly vomited my lunch into the bathroom sink. Fun. Despite getting a flu shot this past fall, I got some variation of it anyway. My teaching aide sent me a text message at 9 p.m. that night saying she had just vomited and now had the flu as well. Figures - my students constantly sneeze into their hands, the air, and put their fingers in their noses and mouths. There's only so much hand washing and sanitizing one can do. We had to cancel the Superbowl Party we were going to have and I slept basically all weekend.

This morning I woke up debating going to work because my body is very weak (and my job is not exactly one you can throw worksheets at the kids and expect to sit at your desk). Then I thought about the lecture our principal gave us on Friday saying that she may have to "talk to some of us about our positions" and "maybe some of you just aren't the right fit for this school when you have too many absences or don't work an after-school program." It's really unfortunate when teachers feel their job is threatened if they say home because they really are sick. Obviously I made it through the day, but it was very long.

In other school news, Rob came to school and showed me his index finger. It had a band-aid around it, but not on the tip. The tip looked like it had been sliced with a knife 5 or 6 times. I asked him what happened, and he told me that his older brother cut him with a knife. I asked, "on purpose or accident?" he said on purpose. I asked him if he showed him mom, and he said he tried to tell her but she wouldn't wake up to look at it. This is not the first time this student has told me abusive things his brother has done to him (choking him, starting a fire on the stairs) and how his mom doesn't pay attention or care. Now I don't know if I can completely believe this child, but at the same time, what if this is true? So, as an educator it's my duty to call the abuse hotline and report this incident. I called and they said my information will remain completely confidential, which is good because the last time a teacher called this hotline the principal found out. She got pissed because the cops came to the school. It's interesting that she always says, "We're here for the studnets", but when the police get involved she doesn't want the school (or herself) look bad. Can you see a pattern developing here with her?
Well, they (the department) has to send an investigator to the home within 24 hours. They won't tell the mother it was me who called, but I am having visions of me walking into school tomorrow and getting attacked by his crazy mom with her cat pajamas on. I can already tell it's going to be an eventful week.