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This is a letter from the Calgary Canada teacher’s association newsletter:
Dreams and Demons
Because he has a record of missed assignments, is inattentive in class and generally surly, I wasn’t surprised when he stopped me in the hallway to tell me that his English essay didn’t meet the requirements for length. I had asked for three pages, and he wrote just one. He said he couldn’t see the page, so he had to stop.
Couldn’t see the page? What kind of ridiculous excuse is that? I though I heard it all. I didn’t say much, just nodded and replied “Okay” in that tone that people use when they don’t quite believe what they’ve just heard. I walked away rolling my eyes. Couldn’t see the page indeed.
Then I read his essay. It was a response to the film Field of Dreams. For the assignment’s final question, I asked the students to write about their dreams—what they want most in life and what they hope for.
His response? His mom is dying of cancer. He’s in Grade 10, an only child, and his single dream is that his mother will live to see him graduate. This gruff kid who dresses in black and doesn’t do his homework has one dream, and it’s so powerful that the never- easy act of writing about it overwhelmed him. That’s why he couldn’t see the page!
I know that students come into my classroom with many fears. They are afraid of looking foolish in front of their friends, of not understanding the material, of not fitting in. They are fearful, too, of not being understood, of not being heard. They share who they are cautiously, watchfully, lest someone roll their eyes and walk away. Then there are the demons they fight that we never see.
I often feel that I can do little, but sometimes what I offer is enough. Teaching at its core is about being watchful, thoughtful, and emotionally honest with students. Sometimes it’s as easy—and as difficult—as listening for what is just below the surface. If I’m careful, I may even see their demons, and when I do, I can support them (the students that is). I can ease off just a little, and I can connect and truly teach.
Cathy Kusick
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
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Sad though it may be, this is one of the magic moments in teaching.
Hugs
N
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.
…and look forward to meeting you in Cóito.
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Its easy for teachers to stand back and not get involved with students. At University I made it a habit to get to know my students and Mark did the same. We both had an open door policy and thru the years we tried and I hope we suceeded in helping a lot of students make it, especially gay students. I would like to think that there are gay men out there that Mark and I helped them deal with their situations. Ill probably never really know.
If you stand for Freedom, but you wont stand for war, then you dont stand for anything worth fighting for.
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