" I realize three fundamental truths at the exact same time......"
Number One: My teachers do not enjoy working with me. This is a crappy job that no one really wants to do, being a high school teachers is a chore and high school teachers are saviors for wanting to do such a horrible job.
Number Two: My only job is to sit still, be quite, and do as I am told. I am not an active participant in my learning. I will be a submissive audience to my teachers ideals, views and teaching styles. My opinions and needs do not matter in a classroom. I will learn the way they want me to learn.
Number Three: The expectation that society has for me is that between the ages of 13-24 I will cause trouble, make bad choices, act out, try drugs, alcohol, maybe get arrested. I should sneak around lie to my parents, drive to fast and hang out with " the wrong crowd"
We do not expect youth to be leaders of a changing society where they are important members of our future. We expect youth to shut up, pay attention, follow the rules. How many time were you told " well when I was your age?", "well me and my friends" , " My parents never let me".
Well when you were my age musical idols like Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison were dying of drug overdoses.
When you were my age crack cocaine got introduced for the first time in Los Angeles.
When you were my age Black Monday occurred.
When you were my age the Yellowstone fires devastated Yellowstone Nation park.
When you were my age the first major school shooting happened in the US.
Every single generation of youth experiences challenges associated with society at the time of there maturity but why after all this time do we still hold youth to impossible standards and place such strong stereotypes and limits on them. We place youth in a situation where they are consistently told that they are unimportant and not valuable members of our society, but how is that possible when they are our future society? We as adults can not time travel make a perfect future for our youth, the youth have to build that future for them selves so why do we stifle there voices and ideas on how to build that future for them selves?
When I was a teenager I learned what a lock down was, I learned how to hide in fear in the corner of my classroom feeling helpless, scared and alone.
When I was a teenager I learned how easy it was for someone to anonymously bully me from behind a keyboard.
When I was a teenager I saw my friend commit suicide with a gun that was in there home .
Do not discredit my experiences based on the number of times the Earth has rotated around the sun since I have been alive. I am a valuable voice worth being heard and if you want to support that voice on my journey to success then please get that teaching degree, please become a youth worker, please become a parent. Children deserve to be scene, heard, and appreciated as the tiny HUMANS they are.
Hi Rachel! I want to start off by saying I love the way you broke this down! I also love how you added in when I was that age.... And I couldn't agree more with your closing statement everyone deserves to be heard and seen no matter the age. It is unfortunate that, that doesn't always happen though, I still feel like this sometimes and I am 24 now!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel, I enjoyed reading your blog and you put great details as well as breaking them down into separate parts. You also put something people like ourselves should be doing such as "My only job is to sill sit, be quite, and do as I am told "as well as just doing what people want us to do which makes lives for us harsh. I was that kind of person a few years ago and I still feel the same way today. This can somewhat relate to Marcus's learning style from this weeks article because every adult viewed him differently, including his teacher. In school now, staff seem to aim only for those who are smart or fully abled while oppressing those who are struggling, have a disability and being viewed as "Trouble-makers". Some people now still feel the same issues and as for myself, I still feel as I should do what is right for myself and not have friends if people view me differently from others. Great Blog!
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