Well, it's that time of year when I have no time. Between all the essays we've been doing, and now our short stories, I have had no time to breathe, let alone update this here blog. But here it goes: Officially official...When I think of breaks and time off from school, I get a little excited, a little nervous, and not always very ready for the time away from the classroom.
Growing up, I had it pretty easy, relatively speaking. My mom made pretty good money and did a great job supporting my brother and me. We were never hungry, always had help with our homework when we needed it, and were disciplined in a way that helped us be responsible for our own stuff; and all of this as a single mother in an unforgiving, patriarchal society is beyond amazing (Thanks Mom!). But overall, even though I was a great procrastinator--still am in many respects of the word--I still found a way to do just fine in school; it just came easy to me. But this isn't true for everyone, and it took me a long time to realize this fact. Not everyone was raised like me or is as lucky as I was and still am. We need to know this about the world around us. We are all different. But what really matters is embracing these differences, not allowing hateful words to become our own, to be above the rhetoric permeating the world during trying times. We need to be that safe space for those who don't have it, that working environment for those living each day packed full, no time for homework. We need to be there, to stand up when we see wrong in this world, and shout at the top of our lungs "No More!" We are in this together, and its about time we start realizing this. I'm kind of ranting, and I'm not sure how much of this will actually make it to my final post, but it doesn't make any of it less true. We need to fight against the atrocious acts we see around us. I'm glad that I haven't seen these at our school, the fake deportation slips, or the swastikas and hate speech that is popping up around the country and even other parts of our state. But that's what I haven't seen. I know some of that language must be still coming up here and there. And we need to be the ones to stop it. Racism must be stopped. Sexism and sexual assault must be stopped. Attacking a person because of what they wear, what they look like, or how they worship and practice religion, needs to stop. And that's why I'm here. I am your advocate, your ally, your voice when you feel you're getting shut down by the hate around you. We have the power to make change. We just have to be consistent. So, invite that friend over for dinner every once in a while, they may be hungry. Tell them to meet you at the library after school, so they have an excuse to study. Stop those kids from laughing at your friend crying; they don't fully understand why, and it's not that they need to know why, but that they need to know that it isn't okay to laugh. Stand up, stop it in it's tracks. Don't be afraid to spread good in this world. So, it's been a while since I've updated this blog, and a lot of this has been building up in me over the weeks. Sometimes we need to let it out. We need to be heard. We need to make it official. We will stand up for those who need it. We will be the change we wish to see in this world. One day at a time, I suppose. Sometimes a few steps in the wrong direction, but we may not always see the proper path in front of us until it is a few miles out of our way. We learn from mistakes. Mistakes are okay. Maybe this post will be a mistake, and I will find a way to say the right thing next time. All I know is that my goal is no mistake. Helping people help others, to be compassionate and understanding, to listen to and see new perspectives, these are all good things in this world. And I know that spreading that understanding is no mistake. So, how do we go about making it happen? Give thanks for what have and be aware of what others might not have. Give thanks. As in, give something to someone, something that they can be thankful for. And get ready for literature circles next week :) --Mr. Ruth
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Weekly HappeningsThis is where you can check and see a brief overview of what we have done as a class each week. My intention is to keep this up to date with happenings, assignments, trends, previews of the following week, and anything else that needs to be shared with my students and their families. I may not always get something written each week, but I will do my best to be disciplined in keeping you informed. Archives |