My Job

I teach high school on a Native American Indian Reservation.

After graduating college, I knew that I wanted to teach high school and then apply to law schools a few years later. In the great state of Arizona, to teach at a charter school a teacher does not have to be a certified teacher. So in Arizona I was going to stay. Finding a teaching job is not easy. I went on two interviews before I interviewed for the job I have now. There were two interviews for this job. After the second interview the principal called me within the hour to tell me that the students that were present during the interview loved me and that I got the job.

This was my dream job. I was going be teaching U.S. Government, U.S. History, and World History (I could do without teaching the latter). Either way I was going to be teaching at the high school level. It is funny on the first interview they asked why I wanted to teach high school. My response: "Because they are people....They are old to talk to like people not like children. Does that make sense? Was that not the right answer?" Principal: "That is exactly what I think because they are people. Little kids aren't really people....you can't talk to them like people." My thoughts exactly.

Our semester is ending pretty soon. With that end there is going to be a lot of changes. Basically I am heading the history department in the district. I will get to write the curriculum and whatnot. All exciting things that I will be doing this summer in addition to studying for the LSAT.

Over the course of the school year different things have happened. I have had students call me racist, stupid, f**king b*tch...the list goes on. Two weeks ago or so was Teacher Appreciation Day and my eyes were wide open. The all of the students contributed to poems that they wrote all for the teachers. One of the students gave me the poem that the principal put in a frame. Then that same student unloaded all sorts of problems that she was having to me. I realized that she was not the first student to trust me like that.

Yesterday, the school put on our youth conference where the students present to community members and lots of people. Two students and I were in charge of the sign in table and various behind the scence activities. One of the girls asked if the conference went this smooth last year and I told her that I had no clue because I was graduating from UA. She couldn't believe that this was my first year teaching and told me that I was a really good teacher. She asked if I liked teaching at the school. I told the girls that I loved them and that I would do anything for them. They laughed and didn't believe me. Then I told them that I was serious and gave them examples. And they said "you do love us."

Fast forward to today... We had our district graduation breakfast (small school district) with all of the graduating seniors. The two boys that I sat with were just so much fun. I kept thinking that this was job to hang out and teach some of the coolest people I know.

Most teachers write letters of recommendation for college. I haven't. Instead, I have helped a student write a letter to a judge regarding her mom being in jail. I have listened when students come to me and tell me about their latest trouble with the law and looking up different laws for them. My policy is simle. I will help them and do everything I can for them as long as they are completely honest with me and tell me the entire truth. They have. They tell me more truth than I could have ever thought possible. A student came to me on Thursday and asked if I could write a letter to a judge on her behalf.

I am glad to know the students do trust and depend on me.

Rafiki goes to therapy

Rafiki began his new training class today. The class is designed to help dogs that are reactive, excitable, fearful, and have other issues. The class teaches the dog to think rather than having the owner/handler telling the dog what to do.

In one of the activities, Grant, Rafiki, and I went into the "box." The idea is that the dog will wander around the box then without us telling Rafiki to look at us he will figure it out. Rafiki ran around the box and was extremely stressed. So stressed in fact that he took a pee in the box. Poor Fiki.

After he peed, he figured it out. Then, Grant and Rafiki walked around the box together and Rafiki was the best at it.


When we go to there though, the trainers who have known Rafiki since he was 7 weeks old could not believe how big he is now. I feel for the little guy though. One of the trainers said that due to the fact that Rafiki was so young when we found each other and where he was found that a big reason why he has the issues that he has is because of his genetics so he is far behind. Genetics meaning not his breeds but genetics as in a bunch of stray dogs getting together and making little Rafiki dogs. Most of the little Rafiki dogs die. But our Rafiki found me.

Rafiki may be far behind in terms of his behavior but he is learning. And even though he peed in the box, he is still such a good little puppy. (By the way, he is 9 months old and the youngest dog in the class.) He has a long way to go.

Little Rafiki and his jar

Gary pretty much rocks. Here is proof. The latest Rafiki creation.
I swear this dog knew that the box sitting outside was for him. He was excited to see it, unlike the box that was delivered yesterday.

The Leash--Part 2

We can't find Rafiki's Minnesota leash. So we have been using his puppy leash (the one that we used when he was really tiny). He chewed through that leash when he was small. We tied a knot and the knot was effective when he was 5-10 lbs. Rafiki is somewhere between 42-45 lbs. The knot is ineffective.

We are trying to find a 6' chain leash so he can't chew through it.

The Leash

Our neighbor around the corner from us has a puppy. This puppy could be Rafiki. I have only seen this Rafiki-like puppy when it was peaking over the wall. Grant, however, has seen this Rafiki-like puppy. Grant told me that he talked to the owner and pet the Rafiki-like puppy. Grant told the Rafiki-likepuppy owner that we had a puppy that looked identical to his puppy. The Rafiki-like puppy was with her owner and walked over to Grant to be petted. The Rafiki-like puppy owner told Grant that a woman saw his puppy and asked him if it was his dog, he told the woman that it was and she said that she asked because her neighbor has a puppy that looks just like his dog and just wanted to make sure that her neighbors' dog did not get out. The whole time the Rafiki-like puppy was not on a leash. Then Grant parted ways with the Rafiki-like puppy and the owner. The owner called the puppy and the puppy came and did not wander off.

After Grant told me this we laughed about how Rafiki would have wandered off somewhere if he wasn't on a leash.

The next day I put the harness on Rafiki. Then I had his leash in my hand and I thought about the concept of the leash. I literally have to attach a leash to Rafiki so I don't lose him. In all truthiness, I don't know how much he would wander off. But he would see another person and get really excited about the possibility of somone else giving him attention then he would wander off. I mean, we attach bassically a rope to him so we don't lose him. I just think that is strange.

Rafiki doesn't like it when he gets tied to a chair at a restuarant though. He chewed through one of his leashes when he was tied to a chair. But other than that Rafiki doesn't really mind the leash. Maybe one day we can take out the trash and have him come with us without being on the leash.













<---Yes this really his leash.

Rafiki thinks he is a human...

This is true I tell you. Here is the proof...

He will hop up onto the couch and sit in the corner of the couch. Then as he is sitting he leans back. Grant says that he is lounging and he right. Rafiki lounges on the couch like me!

If Rafiki is in the bathroom while one of us in the shower, he jumps in. He will let you wash him in the shower.

One of our neighbors has a Mastiff-mix that Rafiki loves. He has learned to jump up and knock on their door and then whine. They come to the door and Rafiki is sitting on their doorstep and Inca the Mastiff is excited because she knows that she will get to play with him now.

Then there is this morning. Grant is running in a relay race this weekend and he got up this morning at 5. He put Rafiki in bed with me. Grant left and Rafiki and I went back to sleep. I woke up several hours later. Rafiki, my little puppy, was on his side with his body under the covers and had is little front legs around me, his head out of the covers and snuggled in between my chin and neck, then he looked at me with his brown eyes and kissed my face.

What we did over winter break...

<---Rafiki and I shared an apple. Now when I eat one he sits and waits until I give him the core. (He spits out the seeds.)












Rafiki got a new friend for Christmas --->
















<--Rafiki went on a post-Christmas walk to look at lights. Thanks Mom for the scarf!















<---We went to Grants--with Grant.
















<--- We went to Petrified Forest. I thought that we were really going to a Forest. Grant laughed at me. Rafiki broke the law and jumped up on the petrified wood.









Rafiki played in the snow---->













<----We went to White Sands. Rafiki had the time of his life












There was snow at White Sands. Rafiki love the combination of snow and white sand. ------>