Spanish 101

This is some random spanish teacher who won some award for being a really great spanish teacher. i think tesoro needs to hire him. quickly.

you know, i have NEVER had any complaints about tesoro high school. in fact, all i can do is sing it's praises. we have been there since almost day one. witnessed the giant flying titan santa claus being painted on the wall of the gym, aenon on the very first girls water polo team. fun times. i am also very proud to say that none of my children have ever been in trouble at tesoro, except when emma almost didn't graduate when she had like 40 absences (44 to be exact, i think) in her dance class. luckily she pulled it off with her great persuasion skills and much brown nosing. good job, emma.

when i have been on campus in the past, it has usually been for some really insignificant reason-dropping off a left at home essay, or forgotten cell phone. really, most if not all of my jaunts to tesoro campus have been pleasant...until yesterday.

eden has a jerk of a teacher for spanish. i should actually splash his name all over the internet, but will refrain from that childish behavior. i can think of many obscene words to call him right now. he is abusive, and yes, i actually looked up the word, and, he is abusive. he is loud. he slams his fists on the desks and uses a sharp whistle to "communicate" with his students. he walks up and down the isles of the classroom like a drill sargeant, yelling at anyone who dares to move. he is into humiliation and general fear. and...gives detentions on a regular basis. even made a student stand up and translate a sentence written on the white board about her..."hina is a bad girl". what??? does he really think this behavior makes students want to learn let alone have any interest in the spanish language? i thought school was a place where children, like sponges were inspired to become great adults? this has been the case with my older girls (and eden) who have been taught at tesoro by beautifully educated teachers who inspire, lead and motivate. hats off to miss willett, miss henshaw, mr kaplan, ms thompson, mr langdale, mrs bowen, mr and mrs harnett, ms nuzman and even keiko faeta (emma's dance teacher) who have shown my girls what educating a new generation is all about.

to make a long story short, we had a meeting yesterday with him because eden (the straight A student, and most mild mannered, easy going, kind, obedient, going to the celestial kingdom person i know) was given a detention from him. i guess she didn't submit to one of his ridiculous requests.

there he sat opposite me in this sterile conference room in the guidance office. his furrowed brow and too tight t shirt clinging to his most likely hairy back (i know, disgusting thought). i had to tell myself to speak in a calm tone, and be as diplomatic as possible. good thing i am not a lawyer-i would be disbarred for sure. and...i guess it is common knowledge that i raise my voice quite frequently (i am oblivious to this fact, of course)-i actually wanted to climb across the table and wring his fleshy throat. again, long story short, nothing was resolved and the wrinkled, unsigned detention slip sat square in the middle of the table, untouched as if a leper had just handled it. no one wanted to touch it. it was the elephant in the room.

11:30am this morning, i get a call from tesoro. it is the witch of a vice principal on the phone. "mrs johnson, we have determined that eden will need to serve her detention". i saw red. at one point in the conversation she told me to lower my voice. i promptly told her i would not do her any favors, and she wasnt going to tell me what to do. i think i sounded like a 13 year old talking back to a parent. craig says it's the henrie in me. quite possibly it is the huntington in me, because i am pretty sure my mom and my grandma wouldn't take his crap either.

needless to say, we have an appointment with dr burch, the head honcho. im bringing my lawyer with me.

i will keep you posted.