If only closed minds came with closed mouths...
My soul is hurting today. I woke up this morning stressed about trying to get my hundreds of students to stay focused in the midst of PARCC testing and 5 days left of school; however, when I got in my car and turned on my radio, I learned about LeBron James' home getting spray painted with the n-word, a noose being found at the Smithsonian African-American History Museum, and the United States making another move against science and improving the environment. I feel a bit like a deflated balloon. Not one that got popped, just one that had a slow leak and is finally starting to crumple onto itself.
Last week, I had a terrible Friday. I had posted a funny video about teaching and feeling worn out and someone took it upon themselves to tell me that it "screamed school choice" and "no one wants to listen to folks whining about their work when they have every summer off, every weekend, every holiday, etc. Try doing it all year, 24/7, 365 and give the rest of us a call." These were her exact words. I had drafted a completely different blog post discussing all of the ways that I disagreed and did not appreciate her unsolicited opinion, but I never posted it. You know why? Because I am so f*%&ing tired of people being so unbelievably nasty to one another. I don't want to spread more hatred. Life is not a contest! I am not living my life so that I can feel superior to someone else or brag about how much better or worse I have it than someone else.
This may all seem unrelated to the aforementioned news, but it isn't. As a public school teacher, I have to deal with all types of students from all races, religions, ethnic backgrounds and all ranges of ignorance. This is starting to wear on my heart. If you don't believe that racism is an issue in America, let me tell you a story that happened in our quaint little suburban, middle class school. A few months ago (not long after I found out that my friend's son committed suicide), there were a group of white males that decided it would be "funny" to draw a picture of a wolf with swastikas all over it and a KKK member next to it peeing on a stick figure and give it to a black student. This incident did not happen in my classroom, but I was absolutely sickened by it. This incident sparked one of the many cries I have had at work this year. In addition, the most recent murder of Lt. Richard Collins III, a black student at Bowie State University also hit close to home as this young man was from Calvert County.
I felt so sad listening to LeBron James talking about how no matter how wealthy or successful or how many people admire you that being a black man in America is still difficult. Frankly, whether he was morally perfect, rich, successful or not, no one should ever have to experience racism; however, Mr. James is one of the most upstanding basketball players I have ever seen or heard of in my life. I have not ever seen his name associated with a scandal or negative story. The man is opening a school for at risk kids in his hometown and has sent kids to college on his own dime! He is the epitome of what a professional athlete and role model should be. That's what made this story twice as hard to swallow. I never want my friends, their kids, or my students to feel hopeless based on other people's ignorance.
I am finding it more and more difficult to just tolerate my students "joking" and ugliness to one another. Regardless of whether it is racially motivated or just some off-color comments about girls or the "nerdy kids," it's all unnecessary. I can't tell you how many times a day I have to ask someone whether they would want another person talking to them the way that they're speaking to someone else. It's tough and it's exhausting, but can you imagine how much better the world would be if we all started at home by teaching our kids to be kind and to be accepting and understanding of one another? I hate that I had to carefully try to explain to other students who decided to gang up on another kid whose Uncle just died after he got adopted out of an abusive home and he just had to give up his dog because he bit his younger adopted brother that he may just be frustrated with life, so they should go easy on him. I know that not everyone is going to be compassionate to other people, but I cannot believe that in 2017 I am still seeing and hearing so many ignorant and racially charged situations.
I don't know how our country is going to fix this most recent rise in hate crimes and intolerance, but I do know that no matter how exhausted or overwhelmed I feel, I will never let this rhetoric continue in my classroom with my kids.In my home, my daughter will not be raised to stereotype another human being and she will be raised to show kindness and compassion to others. These are the only small things that I can control. I pray that I am reaching some of my students and that this environment of hate and ignorance can be put to a stop soon.
Last week, I had a terrible Friday. I had posted a funny video about teaching and feeling worn out and someone took it upon themselves to tell me that it "screamed school choice" and "no one wants to listen to folks whining about their work when they have every summer off, every weekend, every holiday, etc. Try doing it all year, 24/7, 365 and give the rest of us a call." These were her exact words. I had drafted a completely different blog post discussing all of the ways that I disagreed and did not appreciate her unsolicited opinion, but I never posted it. You know why? Because I am so f*%&ing tired of people being so unbelievably nasty to one another. I don't want to spread more hatred. Life is not a contest! I am not living my life so that I can feel superior to someone else or brag about how much better or worse I have it than someone else.
This may all seem unrelated to the aforementioned news, but it isn't. As a public school teacher, I have to deal with all types of students from all races, religions, ethnic backgrounds and all ranges of ignorance. This is starting to wear on my heart. If you don't believe that racism is an issue in America, let me tell you a story that happened in our quaint little suburban, middle class school. A few months ago (not long after I found out that my friend's son committed suicide), there were a group of white males that decided it would be "funny" to draw a picture of a wolf with swastikas all over it and a KKK member next to it peeing on a stick figure and give it to a black student. This incident did not happen in my classroom, but I was absolutely sickened by it. This incident sparked one of the many cries I have had at work this year. In addition, the most recent murder of Lt. Richard Collins III, a black student at Bowie State University also hit close to home as this young man was from Calvert County.
I felt so sad listening to LeBron James talking about how no matter how wealthy or successful or how many people admire you that being a black man in America is still difficult. Frankly, whether he was morally perfect, rich, successful or not, no one should ever have to experience racism; however, Mr. James is one of the most upstanding basketball players I have ever seen or heard of in my life. I have not ever seen his name associated with a scandal or negative story. The man is opening a school for at risk kids in his hometown and has sent kids to college on his own dime! He is the epitome of what a professional athlete and role model should be. That's what made this story twice as hard to swallow. I never want my friends, their kids, or my students to feel hopeless based on other people's ignorance.
I am finding it more and more difficult to just tolerate my students "joking" and ugliness to one another. Regardless of whether it is racially motivated or just some off-color comments about girls or the "nerdy kids," it's all unnecessary. I can't tell you how many times a day I have to ask someone whether they would want another person talking to them the way that they're speaking to someone else. It's tough and it's exhausting, but can you imagine how much better the world would be if we all started at home by teaching our kids to be kind and to be accepting and understanding of one another? I hate that I had to carefully try to explain to other students who decided to gang up on another kid whose Uncle just died after he got adopted out of an abusive home and he just had to give up his dog because he bit his younger adopted brother that he may just be frustrated with life, so they should go easy on him. I know that not everyone is going to be compassionate to other people, but I cannot believe that in 2017 I am still seeing and hearing so many ignorant and racially charged situations.
I don't know how our country is going to fix this most recent rise in hate crimes and intolerance, but I do know that no matter how exhausted or overwhelmed I feel, I will never let this rhetoric continue in my classroom with my kids.In my home, my daughter will not be raised to stereotype another human being and she will be raised to show kindness and compassion to others. These are the only small things that I can control. I pray that I am reaching some of my students and that this environment of hate and ignorance can be put to a stop soon.
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