"And I know that I love the rain the most when it stops. Yeah, when it stops. Well, the dark waves, they start singing together, I can't believe this change in the weather. I start to hum a child's rhyme, and all these boats, they start rocking in time. And I love the rain the most when it stops. Yes, we love the rain the most when it stops. Yeah, when it stops." ~joe purdy

I came home from school today with three massive stacks of research papers and tests to grade. It took me multiple trips to get them into my car and then out of it once I reached my apartment. They're now piled up in the middle of our living room floor. Oh, the joys of being an English teacher.

Here's something that's been bugging me: I hate it when people are so shocked when I tell them I'm teaching in NYC next year. Well, maybe not when they're shocked, but when they express incredulity or doubt or fear or something along those lines. Some people react as if I've just told them I'm going out into the wilderness to teach English to a pack of wolves. There's this common perception that all inner-city teenagers (especially in NY) are bad-ass juvenile delinquents who don't want to and/or can't learn. That really bothers me. It also bothers me that people assume I can't handle it. In just the past week I've been told, "You're too nice to teach in NYC," and, "You just don't look like the kind of person who could handle that." What gave that person the right to determine, just by looking at me, whether or not I can handle it? Yes, I do get a little anxious sometimes when I think about my future career, but I truly believe I can be successful and will enjoy it. I know it'll be a challenge and it'll be a new experience, but I'm confident in my decision. I guess all that matters is how I feel about it, but I do get sick of hearing some other peoples' reactions.