Oftentimes, my students teach me life lessons that they don’t even realize.
To give a little background, I am a high school English and Theater teacher. I teach mostly senior level English, but I am also lucky to teach a Speech and Drama elective.
I love this elective because it offers a chance for the kids to let loose a little and have some fun in the classroom. The first half of the year is focused on public speaking, while the second half of the year is geared toward the elements of theater. For the public speaking portion of the class, I like to teach them techniques on how to become a better public speaker, and I also try to assign them topics that are relevant and interesting to them.
In honor of violence awareness week (10/15-10/19), I let the students choose any topic that would fall under that umbrella.
For example, sexual assault, bullying etc. The speeches that I got as a result were so well done. They were extremely relevant, and even passionate in their tone. After asking my students their permission, I wanted to share some excerpts from their work.
This excerpt is after explaining how a student was told to go back to her country in the middle of the street, (I have used Mary in place of the student’s actual name for privacy):
“Mary is just one of the many people who face stereotyping and prejudice on a daily basis. Being born and raised in the United States, Mary is proud to be American and has plans to continue her education and career here.
The ignorant driver that shouted out of the car failed to understand that, like Mary, there are millions of Muslims that consider this country their home, and repulsive comments like these only make the victim feel unwanted in the place they should feel most safe.
It is unfair and childish to judge someone simply because of their physical appearance or religious beliefs. This behavior, towards minorities of all kinds, is disgraceful and should be taken more seriously. It is, in my opinion, the most un-American thing you can do because it is the immigrants of America who came from all over the world to achieve their dreams in a country defined by the idea of opportunity and freedom.”
This excerpt is from a student discussing sexual abuse:
VIOLENCE is STILL VIOLENCE if….
Your abuse isn’t as “bad” as other abuse
If it has only happened once
It stops as soon as you become more passive (don’t be afraid to express yourself)
It has only been verbal
And don’t forget, a drunk yes is still a no.
These speeches give me hope for the future. They sparked conversation in the classroom about what is right and wrong. They even educated their peers about the topics after admitting, for example, that they didn’t know that “a drunk yes is still a no.” There was never an argument over these questions asked amongst each other, just a sharing of information and an acceptance of the appropriate answers. Most importantly, these students prove that this next generation will be more aware, accepting, and confident in what they feel is right and wrong.
So, although watching the news about people on the brink of being deported is heart wrenching and seeing women constantly questioned when they come forward with their truth is horrifying, there are kids that are listening. They are watching, taking it all in, and making a decision that their lives aren’t going to go in that same direction. I am proud of my students and happy to see in them what the future will hold.