The Two Things I Hate Most In Schools
I can hear it like he said it yesterday.
My goal in life had nothing to do with becoming a teacher. But my uncle had other plans for me. Upon graduating with my bachelor’s degree in art, he suggested I apply to become a substitute teacher until something more permanent came along. I did that, eventually becoming a building substitute in a school where he was the principal.
But it didn’t take. I still wanted to be a painter.
After that school year, I got a more permanent job with benefits at a nearby college that I had attended. I was around art all the time and I thought that would help me keep working artistically while paying bills. That didn’t happen. But, I stayed there, working with young adults until I went back for my master’s degree.
Then, my uncle tried again.
When I graduated, it was in the midst of what had been called the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. There were nearly no jobs. But, he had moved into administration and hired me as a Parent Liaison/Drop-Out Prevention Specialist serving two schools - a middle school and a high school. It was on that job where my career trajectory changed.
Part of the job entailed me going to the homes of the students who were truant. I was an honors student in school. My family wasn’t the poorest…but we weren’t the most well-off either. I didn’t feel there was a valid reason for absences. These kids were lazy, I told myself.
Well, I found that out of every 10 kids I visited, that might have been true in one case. The rest of the students were handling issues way bigger than school. They were juggling adult-size problems…sometimes, they were even juggling adults! I couldn’t unsee that and I’ve been working in education ever since.
During the team meetings with my uncle, he often said something that I’ve kept with me ever since, even after he retired from his position years ago.
There’re two things I hate most in schools: racism and lazy teachers.
~My Uncle
Due to what would be considered in our culture as a “non-threatening appearance”, I grew up with something akin to preferential treatment in schools as a student. It took me well into adulthood as an employee to see racism there. Not surprising since it took me equally long to see that the same issues that the students I was serving as an adult were there when I was a student amongst many of my classmates (coincidentally, that I also had thought were just being lazy at the time).
You live and you learn (and hopefully, you learn to love).
But, racism is there. Case in point, my husband pointed me in the direction of this video recently.
Happy to say, these girls went on to win an undefeated season. But, this right here…this right here…
This is why they kneel.
In another turn of events…the offender went on to say that the reason he spurted out those racial slurs was not because he was full of hate.
Nope. Get this…
He said it was because he had high blood sugar at the time.
After that part…I just couldn’t even anymore, y’all. I quickly scribbled this in my notebook before I went to bed last night.
And isn’t it ironic that this story comes out at the anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death?
Before becoming a full-fledged teacher, I also went on to become a youth advisor for girls at a local non-profit where we served what we called, “at-risk” youth. I spent four years there making young women aware of the social injustices I had just become aware of myself in order for them to better navigate their own careers and to recognize personal biases. Simultaneously, it was my job to teach and example self-respect and using your voice to make a difference.
So, it is again that while I’d love to be drawing pretty florals and lovely lettered phrases like, “You Are My Sunshine” and whatnot…I feel strongly that I have to turn my attention to helping the world understand a very, very, simple, and yet ,obviously and grossly misunderstood aspect of medical conditions.
And that is…
Nope. (Insert ailment here) can’t cause it, influence it, start it....This can only be caused by one thing…the virus hate with the side effects of racism and its accompanying complacency.
So, I think since my uncle has retired, I’ll pick up where he left off…and I’ll add my own twist.
There’re two things I hate most in schools…Racism is probably number one.
