Losing Compassion

As I said earlier this week, I am now a substitute teacher in the city of Pittsburgh as well as being a TSS.  While a TSS I witness many different things including other TSS’s within my company and another completely losing compassion for the children we work with.  People give up on the kids or move on to a different job and just leave the kids, without saying good-bye.  I have a hard time understanding this.  I was upset almost to tears because I couldn’t tell one of my clients good-bye and explain to her why I was leaving.  I kept one because I don’t have the heart to leave her.  She has had so many people up and leave her, so I am staying on which means I will drive to Washington for two hours and then come back home twice a week .  Its worth it to me if I help her.

While subbing I have also seen the lose of compassion for the students.  Some teachers just take off and not leave work for the subs to give the students.  Many schools don’t even have a full time teacher for some classes.  If there is no sub for the day then the students get shuffled around to other classes, just to give them a place to go during that period.  Some students have said they haven’t learned anything in almost a month because a specific teacher has been out for much of that time.  It’s sad that many of the kids get the brush off because some teachers are ill or some just simply don’t care about the kids.

I am seeing more and more people loss compassion.  They don’t care about anyone else.  There are so many jobs in residential homes that don’t require a degree and many people won’t go for those jobs because they “don’t do diapers” or won’t work shifts, or don’t want to deal with some of the stereotypes of residential homes.  Sure there are some that are dangerous but there are others.  Where has all the compassion gone?  Why are we now only looking out for number 1?  People are always saying the believe in this this and that, but when it comes down to standing up for those believes they back down like a dog with his tail between his legs.