I made it through the first year pretty darn good and was thinking to myself, "ahh, my second year is going to be much smoother". Well, I got a big "HELL to the NAWH" newsflash on my forehead as I entered my second year a few months in September. I arrived on my first day back at school and was notified by administration that the class I taught last year (public speaking) was being replaced by more "regents based/academic" courses (aka more chemistry classes..forensics, etc). I honestly had tears in my eyes because my passion was teaching these kids how to speak up logically about hidden concepts of racism, classism, and injustice in politics...not about protons and neutrons. HOW WAS I GONNA TALK ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY in a lab coat analyzing petri dishes and friggin' beakers?
but there is a God...
Two weeks into school, they asked me to teach a senior English class. I now have 18 year olds who have a few months before they are responsible for themselves in the real world. So, along with Chemistry, freshman Biology and a Social Studies course (YES, I feel like an immigrant working 1,001 jobs), I also teach one general education English class, and I have been touched on many levels from working with them.
The first day of class, I did a "getting to know you" exercise. We were deep into the intriguing game, and suddenly I decided to let them ask me anything they wanted to within a two minute window. (why in the world did I decide to do that...non-thinking teacher move #1! ha). I like to be as transparent with my kids as possible without it being disrespectful and thought it was going to be cool. I got the basic questions ALLLL my students always want to know.."am I married? do I have kids? do I have a man? why do i talk funny ..they like my southern accent." Then I was asked a question I never had been asked before....A young man said, "Hey Ms. Thompson, when did you lose your virginity?" I think if I were white or even light skin I would have turned burgundy from surprise! I didn't get mad because the reason why he said he asked is because he felt as if too many young girls lose their virginity too young and conduct themselves like sluts, and he wanted to know if having sex at a young age was "Good"?
So here was my opportunity to turn his question into a lesson. We discussed double standards in society and why was it more readily accepted in society for a guy to start having sex at a younger age, but for the women to "save themselves"? It was a wonderful discussion and I think they understood what type of atmosphere the class was going to have...a brutally honest, transparent, and critical thinking tank.
So from there...I told them every Friday, we were going to have a "Critical Think Tank"..I would give them 5-6 days to write a critical response to the "question of the week" I would throw out, and then we would verbally discuss it out the following Friday.
So ya'll, we've had about 4-5 think tank sessions ranging from "is love a choice or emotion".."is marriage necessary..why not just live together?...has racism improved or gotten worse? are you pro-life/pro-choice regarding abortion? ..and their views of the death penalty.
This blog entry was simply to introduce you the sane, insane, sad, profound responses to these "questions of the week" from my students that you will read in the upcoming days and weeks. As judgemental as I sometimes want to be with them, I have to ask myself, what was I thinking at 17/18 years of age? What were you thinking?
All I know is this...I threw out the question for this week "Is America ready for a Black President?" There was one reaction from an African American guy named Fred that made my blood pressure shoot up. "Ms. Thompson, only a White person is capable of running this country, I just think Black people should stay in their place." He was DEAD serious. I honestly don't think I've felt that strange fusion of fury and sadness since my first heartbreak.
then the bell rang before I had time to yoke him up.
We will discuss his comment and question this upcoming Friday...the last Friday before history is bound to take place in the United States. Thank God our ancestors did not just "stay in their place." They kept moving. They refused to live the life they were told they had to live.
Are you aimlessly running on a treadmill or on a path you created which leads to a destination?
Keep moving and Go Barack.
