The Lost One's Weeping (Caitlin)

All Mindcrack teachers were given this article about me in the newspaper. The article called me "such an inspiration" for "aspiring to be a great musician." Well, I am aspiring to be a great musician . I am not truly "great" yet and am not sure if I ever well be. However, I read further and found lines that either baffled or disgusted me. The journalists never asked my students how they felt about having a disabled teacher. I'm sure Alex or even Adrian would have readily volunteered information! Even worse, they didn't even interview any people from Mindcrack. They just asked the Havencraft High School director for information about me. It's kind of like how Emmeline's chemistry teacher kept pronouncing her name as "Emma-lin" when she said her name is pronounced "Emma-leen". I can't believe the Minecraft Times would publish this unprofessional piece of Ender Dragon dung.

Meanwhile, Steve was laughing and facepalming at the article while pointing out absurdly-worded tidbits. The article used the word "inspiration" about 50 times. Some of the science teachers were shaking their heads. The English teachers were revolted and refused to read it after the first paragraph. A combat teacher pinned their copy to the wall and shot arrows through it. The only one who liked it was a math teacher who fake-congratulated me on getting a promotion in the orchestra.
 
Yep. It never ended. Even teachers were snotty high school girls. What kind of example does that set?  I felt sorry for Mrs. Platt's students to be honest, having their perspectives forcibly narrowed by an authority figure appointed for their intellectual edification. I saw how her students were after they left her class. Even those who loved math left disheartened and disappointed in their passion. Those who hated math were made to feel stupid and useless even though, if she had even bothered to notice that her students had lives outside of math class, that was far from true.

Fuming, I shifted my attention the meeting. Alisha took the time to point me out and asked for our opinions on the article. Mrs. Platt said it was good that inclusion was happening and that she didn't know how someone like me could do it. I could hear the saccharine undertones ringing in her voice. Steve and I exchanged a knowing glance. At this progress meeting, we had to state things such as our class averages and notable comments from student evaluations. Mrs. Platt volunteered to go after the English department presented their cases. Most of their students did not like essays. Others did. The third block classes wanted a snack time.
          "My class average is a 94%, but that's unacceptable because that puts us 4th from the top." Phooey. Who cares what your class average is? I want to know if your students feel fulfilled! The only comment that really stood out was from Kyle Escalona who said that the class gave him the final push to want to die, but she dismissed him as, and I quote, "a lazy, stupid good for nothing." NOT true. His gift for encouraging others is one Mindcrack needs. He aides for me. One of my sixth graders started crying in class and Kyle stepped in to offer his comfort.

This incident made me think of Lost One's Weeping. I saw the tears in Kyle's eyes as he was grading assignments for me. I should have said something. I was glad, however, that he was getting help. The meeting continued on with the fine arts department presentations. The orchestra recording of Rolling Girl was very violin-heavy; Lost One's Weeping lacked confidence in the percussion part.

And why was that? Because some people plug their ears at the lost one's weeping.