Go Hard or Go Home... or Emergency.

I'm having a little trouble teaching one of my Gr. 8 classes. But they're the class I've spent the least amount of effort in establishing relationships with. To be honest, I thought it'd be a breeze, because this was the more academic of the two I have to teach. The other one has SIX boys with behavioural problems. That's 1/5 of my class! That's 20% of my class!

But I've spent the last few months getting to know them on a deeper level, because I knew I'd have behavioural issues if I was simply a stranger. So I have to say, now that I've taken over both Gr. 8 classes, it's honestly a lot more enjoyable teaching the problematic class than the academic one.

But I could also be pulling the self-fulfilling prophecy each time the academic 8's walk in.

Teaching full time is nice though... Neglecting my tutoring duties, and guitar lessons, calling in sick at L&M, that's all been very nice too.

Except the sudden extreme drop of income. That hasn't been nice.

There was a huge Wrestling Meet among Jr. High schools, held at Valley Crescent Middle School. I often watch our wrestling team after school, because it's damn entertaining. And also, it's phenominal, how in two weeks, these fresh out of elementry kids go from hopping around the mat, to making intellectual destructive weight distributions.

I've been so impressed with these kids, that I really want to go into some wrestling camp and grab some experience in it, so I can start coaching too.

Anyway, a lot of my kids are going to this Meet, and I totally want to be there for them. So when I get there, bam! One of the coaches is sick. (She used to coach the Dino's wrestling team). And though it's not necessary for them to have a filler, they ask me if I could do some coaching.

What the hell do I know about coaching? "There's a free meal ticket for all coaches," they say.

Done. I'm in.

Oh man, it was fun. It was glorious! It was heartbreaking! One of my students, coded LD, and struggling in math, lost his first three matches. And he was so dissapointed in himself that he started crying. I've never seen so many kids cry. But damn it, when you can't succeed in anything, what on earth is there for you? But this kid has some serious defense, and I tried to encourage him. But he needed his time.

Ok, so another kid, one I play in the jazz band with, he won two matches, he needs to win this next one for a Gold. He's doing good, in the lead with points. I'm screaming "Good!! DRIVE!! DRIVE!!" And suddenly, he gets flipped and breaks his leg.

I can't help but feel responsible for it. The poor kid's weekend is going to start with the entire night spent in Emergency. What a crapshoot.

I'm a little shaken, but the other coaches try to reassure me that he'll come to school on Monday a Hero. Still... I feel really bad about it.

Still so many kids to support. Near the end of it, the LD kid I mentioned was in another match! It just caught my eye as I was on the other side of the gym. I ditch the kid I was coaching (he was doing fine), run over and, yeah, no coach for my boy. I look at the score, 4-0 for him! Not only that, he's got his opponent pinned on his stomach! I fall to my knees and screamed.

"Keep him down!! Turn him over!! Drive with your legs!! Use your toes!!" All the generic things I hear other coaches screaming haha!

And he WON!! And I got a lump in my throat. My kids and I all jumped to the mat and cheered for him... it was beautiful.

Until I saw his opponent crying with bitter defeat.

And I realize, man, someone's glory is always at the price of another's hope.

This post was written at a Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of 4.0