I don't know if this is an acceptable diary topic for DailyKos, but I feel compelled to share this story. It isn't explicitly political . . . but then again, it is. If you want to get an idea of what's on the mind of high school students when it comes to political issues that affect them, read on.
A little background: I'm working on bachelor's degree #2 to get my teaching certification in secondary English education. This semester, I have to teach a class in a local high school a few times a month.
Today was my third time working with this class, a 'remedial reading' type of class with students from all grade levels in it. The school is located in a working-class city next to a large Army post that deploys frequently. The student population is quite diverse; in fact, it is a "majority-minority' school, meaning that a majority of the students are minorities in terms of race/ethnicity.
Today's lesson was for the students to write a letter to the next president, focusing on an issue of their choice that is personally relevant.
It was difficult, but I managed to get through the entire lesson without even mentioning Obama or McCain, as this was supposed to be a nonpartisan exercise. I even took my Obama buttons off of my bag so I couldn't be accused of exerting undue influence, although I did wear a blue sweater.
Interestingly, although I specifically stated for the students to address their letters to a generic President -- as in, DON'T mention a specific candidate -- three of them were addressed to "Mr. Obama" or "President Obama". None were addressed to McCain. Ha ha ha. :-)
ISSUE: DRUG POLICY (with discussion)
A few students wrote about legalizing marijuana. One girl read her letter to the class, in which she argued that
[. . .] the only way it is really a drug is if you have to put chemicals in it. So if it is a plant there's nothing wrong with it.
Aha! This is what we in the education field call a "teachable moment", an elusive split-second where you as a teacher have a chance to make a positive out of a negative . . . . I knew that this girl was deliberately trying to stir up controversy, probably testing me to see how I'd react. So, I did the first thing that came to mind: I respectfully challenged her logic.
"What about tobacco? Tobacco's a plant and it still causes cancer."
The other kids started to speak up, some agreeing with me, others claiming that it was "the chemicals" in tobacco that causes cancer, not the plant itself.
Ignoring the scientific inaccuracies with that statement, I offered another challenge: "What about cocaine? Cocaine is made out of a plant."
At that moment, mind-blowing commenced. Several kids who were enthusiastically supporting the argument that "if God made it, it's OK for us" looked dumbfounded. One kid said, "Cocaine is a plant? Wait, wait...that's definitely not good."
I continued: "What about opium? That comes from a plant, and it's used to make heroin. Is that still OK?"
And then, just as I was getting a classroom full of thoughtful looks and gaping mouths, just as they were processing the gaps in their logic, just as they were starting to get a flicker of realization on their faces, the classroom teacher stepped in and put an end to the entire discussion. "You can have freedom of speech outside of school, but when we're in school, we are NOT going to discuss illegal substances, and drugs are illegal! We are not going to talk about this any more!" (For what it's worth, the classroom teacher is probably 55-60, very prim and proper, and looks like Dana Carvey as The Church Lady.)
POOF! There went my teachable moment.
Honestly, if you automatically shut down any mention of drugs (or alcohol) in the classroom, you shut down an opportunity to reach kids. All they will learn from that is, "OK, I can't talk about this around Ms. So-and-So." Who do they talk to, then? Answer: each other. If kids are going to bring up controversial topics in my classroom, I'm going to respond, not shy away from it. I wasn't advocating drug use. However, I was making them think. Isn't that the point of education -- to get people to use their brains?
(End of rant.)
ISSUES: ENERGY POLICY & MEDICAL RESEARCH
A boy who didn't look any older than twelve offered to read his letter to the class. He's at least a foot shorter than me (and trust me, I'm anything but tall), and he looks totally out of place in high school. Totally nice kid, though -- very earnest and a diligent worker. He stepped up front and began reading with his letter about three inches from his face (and yes, he wears glasses). He politely argued that gas prices should be lower and we should create other fuel sources. Then he added:
P.S. Please help children's hospitals because I have been there because I have had cancer, a brain tumor.
The class was silent, and then the other students broke into applause. I didn't really know what to say, other than, "Thank you for sharing that; it was really powerful." I mean, what do you say when a student shares something so personal, so heartbreaking, and so touching? He was really brave for reading it out loud.
ISSUE: HURRICANE KATRINA
Other weighty issues were on the minds of students in this class. In another letter (addressed to "Mr. P"), one girl wrote:
New Orleans, they need help bad. You got the power to help rebuild that foundation. A lot of lives were lost that could have been saved.
ISSUE: IRAQ
Some students wrote about the need to end the Iraq war. One wrote:
Dear Mr. Obama,
If you become president, I would like you to bring the soldiers back from Iraq because our people are just getting killed for nothing and the war should be over.
ISSUES: WAR & POVERTY
The letter that touched me the most was from a shy, extraordinarily quiet girl who sits in the back of the room. She seems like the kind of girl that is used to being invisible -- if you're around kids much, you know what I mean. She is unfailingly polite and well-behaved, but she seems like she's constantly trying not to call attention to herself. She always has an hint of sadness about her, even when she smiles, like she is coping with a lot more than she admits. I am irresistibly drawn to girls like this -- I don't know how to explain it, other than I somehow sense that they need someone to recognize them and affirm their existence. I just get the feeling that girls like this aren't supported or complimented nearly enough in their lives. (Note: I am female myself, and did a minor in Women's Studies, so that might be why I feel so strongly about mentoring young women.)
Anyway, this girl wrote furiously, even after I asked students to start sharing their letters. While I collected the letters after the class discussion, she was still writing. Finally, she handed me her letter as the regular classroom teacher took the helm again. It was covered front and back. She obviously had something to say.
So here it is, with only minor editing:
Dear President,
I was writing this letter to hopefully clear up a few things I thought you could help. The people are fighting in many different wars and I think it needs to stop. Some people are being killed. Some are fighting to feed themselves and maybe even their kids. And it's hard and they don't need to go down that way. Some need help, some need to be punished, but either way it's sad and hurts people to see that so it needs to stop. But there's not much I can do to stop it. I can do very little, but if you can help and stop it, you could save some lives and it would make you feel good that you helped them out, and that would be a good start to help make the world a better place to live. But there is a lot more to do to make it better, but it's a good start. Stop wars so the death stops. Please, if you look in your heart to help them, if you were broke and didn't have a job or couldn't get one and lived on the streets, you would want someone to be so kind and help you out. If I were president, I would help you out and many others, so please stop it from happening. I don't want anyone to end up like that, so please be so kind and help them please, for me.
P.S. Please and thank you so much.
This letter hit me hard. I got the strong feeling that this girl is speaking from experience. You should have seen her expression as she frantically wrote this letter. It was a mix of determination, inspiration, and concentration. I have no doubt that every word she wrote was sincere. It makes me wonder if she has lost a parent or family member in Iraq, and it suggests to me that she lives in poverty.
After class, I went up to her, knelt down beside her desk so I could look at her at her eye level, and thanked her for her letter. I told her that I read it and it was very moving, and that I agreed with her. She lit up instantly. I then asked her if I could share that letter with others because I thought it was so powerful. She happily agreed, beaming ear to ear. I thought it was important to let her know that I heard her, and that I listened to what she had to say. I just couldn't leave that class today if I didn't acknowledge her hard work. I had to validate her voice.
MY REFLECTION
You think kids aren't paying attention? Wrong. They are. They know that their families are struggling, they see the injustice Katrina revealed, they feel the pain caused by too many deployments in their own homes. They're more aware (and too often, painfully aware) than you'd think.