"Who am I to judge another,
when I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
sorrow that the eye can't see."
-- Hymn #220
when I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
sorrow that the eye can't see."
-- Hymn #220
A few weeks ago I had a student taken out of my class rather unexpectedly. My assistant principal called me to say that he wouldn't be in my class anymore -- something I was, at the time, only mildly upset about (since the kids was a pain in the butt). My AP said at the time of the phone call that he couldn't tell my why he was being moved, but to see him after school for him to explain.
There had been two "incidents" with this student, neither of which are noteworthy. To make a long story short, this boy's mother accused me of being a racist. Mind you, this woman has never spoken to me, seen me, in short, doesn't know me from Adam. And yet she's making a really serious accusation about me.
I know I shouldn't let it bother me, because really, the people who matter know that I'm not indeed a racist. But it hurts nonetheless.
Shortly after this incident occurred our ward choir sang in church. We sang a song that I've sun a million times before, but somehow the second verse stuck out to me. For the first memoriable time in my life, someone has wrongly accused me of something to my face. And it stung. I know it's easy to look at me, a white girl from suburban Ohio and think that I am a racist. But if you know me, and know what I stand for, and especially in the classroom, you'll know that I'm not. At least I try not to be.
Who am I to judge another? How many times do I walk down the street and pass judgment on people. I think as humans we do it several times a day. We pass judgment by how we look. Speak. Dress. Act. Everything. Yet we're offended when it's directed exactly at us.
I don't know the situation surrounding this mother and son. I do know that he lost his father than they had moved 6 times in the last four years. While I don't harbor any ill-will towards this mother and son, I do feel sad. I feel sad that they have had to use an aspect of their identity to get what they want. When the truth of the matter is, it's not helping her son to know that anytime he's in a pickle he can "play the race card," because he won't learn the hard way.
Sometimes I get so wrapped up on my own thoughts and problems that I don't look outside of myself -- I am human after all. Just as people don't always know what's going on in my "quiet heart," I don't always know what's going on in theirs.
As I was talking with Shelby last week, we were talking about me moving home. I'm giddy with anticipation. Shelby's always lived in Arizona, with the exception of a semester she lived in Utah. She said the moment she decided to move home was when she began to see the good things about Utah. That's a bit of the way I'm feeling about Arizona now. It's still crappy, and I still can't wait to go home -- but it's only slightly more bearable.
There had been two "incidents" with this student, neither of which are noteworthy. To make a long story short, this boy's mother accused me of being a racist. Mind you, this woman has never spoken to me, seen me, in short, doesn't know me from Adam. And yet she's making a really serious accusation about me.
I know I shouldn't let it bother me, because really, the people who matter know that I'm not indeed a racist. But it hurts nonetheless.
Shortly after this incident occurred our ward choir sang in church. We sang a song that I've sun a million times before, but somehow the second verse stuck out to me. For the first memoriable time in my life, someone has wrongly accused me of something to my face. And it stung. I know it's easy to look at me, a white girl from suburban Ohio and think that I am a racist. But if you know me, and know what I stand for, and especially in the classroom, you'll know that I'm not. At least I try not to be.
Who am I to judge another? How many times do I walk down the street and pass judgment on people. I think as humans we do it several times a day. We pass judgment by how we look. Speak. Dress. Act. Everything. Yet we're offended when it's directed exactly at us.
I don't know the situation surrounding this mother and son. I do know that he lost his father than they had moved 6 times in the last four years. While I don't harbor any ill-will towards this mother and son, I do feel sad. I feel sad that they have had to use an aspect of their identity to get what they want. When the truth of the matter is, it's not helping her son to know that anytime he's in a pickle he can "play the race card," because he won't learn the hard way.
Sometimes I get so wrapped up on my own thoughts and problems that I don't look outside of myself -- I am human after all. Just as people don't always know what's going on in my "quiet heart," I don't always know what's going on in theirs.
As I was talking with Shelby last week, we were talking about me moving home. I'm giddy with anticipation. Shelby's always lived in Arizona, with the exception of a semester she lived in Utah. She said the moment she decided to move home was when she began to see the good things about Utah. That's a bit of the way I'm feeling about Arizona now. It's still crappy, and I still can't wait to go home -- but it's only slightly more bearable.
2 comments:
oh bear, i'm so sorry. this happened to my roommate last year. she teaches 4th grade. it's a hugely frustrating thing that drove her to tears more than once. you'll get through it. anyone who actually knows you, knows it isn't true.and even though you know that in your head, it doesn't make it hurt less. i love you! it will all be ok. or as my ornament says 'all will be well'
That is miserable. I am shocked to think that a school just gives in to a parents whim that way-without even a discussion. My aren't we so afraid of hurting the kids feelings and not at al concerned for supporting a teacher. that is what is wrong with the world today! I just received a letter from school letting parents know that if their children might expereince a high levelof stress over taking upcoming state manadated writing tests then they could be excused from the test-what?!
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