Today was a frustrating one. I was teaching a class of students in a public assistance program. It's pretty nice, they get carfare and daycare paid for as long as they attend classes, in order to be better prepared to find a job.

I gave the students an assignment to do on friday, and hand in on monday. They have no classes on friday, but they still have to go out and do an assignment. I tried to make it something that was simple and they could do in a short while (maybe 30 minutes) and they complained, that's okay, no likes to work on their day off, I completely agree. But I have to give them an assignment, or they don't get credit for that day.

So one student wanted me to stop the class so that I could help her to do the assignment right there and then. Even as I was trying to explain what the assignment was, she kept saying that A) she couldn't do it, B) that she didn't understand it, C) why wasn't I helping her do it, and D) why do I have to give them work to do on their day off. Now, keep in mind that they have to go out, because they are still getting their daycare paid for. I told her that I'd help her after we finished the day's lesson. Her reply: "No, I don't think so! Then we'll be on MY time, and I ain't wasting MY time sitting in no classroom!"

I explained that I had to do the lesson, and somehow managed to calm her down. But afterwards, I helped her do the majority of the assignment, and she was still upset! "Why couldn't you just do that in the first place? And you still didn't help me finish! Now I gotta go home and write this shit up!"

Somedays, I just want to scream.