Please describe your job duties

As I filled out a job application tonight I came to the last prompt regarding my current temporary job. Please describe your job duties . . . and I sat and I thought . . . how could I possibly describe in a few sentences my 'duties'?

See, for the past 4 months I have been working nearly full time as a Head Start teacher. The position I have was created purely out of desperation to provide support to the 2 lead teachers. Seasoned teachers that had been brought to this particular class to help regain control and structure. Teachers that for the first 2 weeks of school were going home every night and crying.

See, the classroom in which I am teaching is located in the center of government funded housing. The classroom is on the bottom floor of an apartment complex. There are 3 complexes on the property and our class is in the middle of it all. The neighbors smoke within feet of our playground and we often hear people shouting at one another. It is not uncommon for police helicopters to circle the complex or to see young children walking around with no shoes and old clothes.

See, some of my students live in those apartment buildings and the ones that don't live in similar ones. Or they live in old homes with no heat or a/c, or sometimes they can't get to school because their parents' car has broken down and they can't get it fixed. Or some of them live with grandparents or foster parents.

See, most of my kids have experienced trauma in their short little lives. Some were placed in foster care as toddlers because they were found abandoned and neglected to fend for themselves. One tells me that dad calls mom a B*T*H when he hits her and another says  that dad throws toys at him when he doesn't clean his room fast enough. One child cried daily for weeks out of fear that his parents wouldn't pick him up because he had been left alone before. Some have stories too heartbreaking to bear.

See, the first day I walked into my class there was disorder and chaos and 2 teachers doing their best to teach and love and praise the 20 children in their care. Children begging for approval and love and safety. So, what are my job duties?

My duty is to look at these children and really see them, and love them. My duty is to create a safe haven for some of these kids that are most safe when they are at school. My duty is to look beyond the misbehavior and find out what makes each child special. My duty is to help these kids love to learn and love school so that they can fight back against a culture that teaches them nothing of value. My duty is to put a smile on my face and wrap these kids in hugs when sometimes I'd rather walk out the door and never look back.