Hard Lessons

Hard Lessons
By Donae James Johnican
In reality
It feels like school’s against me
Cus no matter what I know,
If I don’t pass that test
Then they won’t let me go.
And if I’m not on time
No matter what’s going on in my life
I will be penalized,
And now there’s tears in my eyes.
I might not walk the stage.
They didn’t teach me the right way.
He didn’t like his job,
I don’t know what he taught,
His only worry was getting paid
Someday they’ll learn to change their ways,
To read the tears of the kids who don’t cross the stage.
Teaching’s not just a job,
It’s like a gift from God,
You gotta do it the right way,
You gotta do it the right way.
I imagined a school before
Where teachers would make sure
That you were ready for
Any challenge that life would throw at you.
Take time one on one,
So that you knew what to do,
And if you weren’t at school
They would pick up the phone
And call you at home.
If you failed a test
They’d let you take it again,
Go over every question til you got 100 percent.
Between a teacher and a student
There must be a bond,
Where the student is willing
And the teacher flexible and headstrong.
Where money comes last
And education comes first.
But until then I guess we’ll just have to learn
Someday they’ll learn to change their ways,
To read the tears of the kids who don’t cross the stage.
Teaching’s not just a job,
It’s like a gift from God,
You gotta do it the right way,
You gotta do it the right way,
You gotta do it the right way.
~Donae James Johnican
1966-2013