So much to think about concerning our country and the world. The Presidential debates have begun, and at this time appear to be over after the first one, and it's getting more and more uncomfortable up in here. Neighbors and former friends are digging in their heels on opposite sides, clearly dependent on which echo chamber is providing their news reports. What on earth do we tell our children, our students, and even each other about the qualifications of the candidates? One of these people will soon be selected as the "Leader of the Free World". I can't help wondering what The Dowager Empress would have to say on the discussion from the last debate. Before long, we will have a chance to vote and will know the outcome. We may very well have the first woman in office as President of the United States.
I've always wondered if things would be different if women were really in control of governments. Wondered if the focus would be more on being kind to each other, less on the need to show up with the biggest weapon. Who knows? The girls aren't always so kind to each other either.I belong to quite a few teacher groups, both online and in person. Although I am officially retired, I guess I will always consider myself a teacher, and I love to be around those who are still so actively involved. Every couple of days it seems, someone enters the discussion online or shows up at the restaurant or walks into the teacher's lounge with a similar complaint. "It's (insert month here), and my class is still so out of control. Kids are so mean to each other. I have bullies in my class. I hope they don't keep talking and screaming through my evaluation." I sometimes helpfully suggest the proven system I used which can seamlessly work with the standards and bring kids together as a learning community. Works like magic. Honest. You won't read about it here. I'm tired of suggesting it. No one seems to be listening. You can email me if you'd like a link to those resources.
I often long for a kinder and simpler time when kids had someone to look up to. My suggestion? Let's offer some role models for kids to look up to. Let's start with us. Mainstream America has been involved in a campaign of disrespect for teachers for waaaaayyyyy too long now. One of the Presidential candidates actually said during the debate that teachers are performing gender change operations on students during the school day. Seriously? With what equipment? In which operating room? Last time I visited, school buildings don't have this capability. What tools are they using? Crayons and glue guns? I remember when kids looked up to their teachers and wanted to grow up to be just like them. (Those of us who have been involved in education long enough will remember those days. They were real.) Starting with us simply means to me to walk into that classroom every day with a clean slate. You have no bullies. You have no loud and disrespectful kids in that room. You are a great teacher with the greatest class ever. Now let's get the day started. They may just surprise you and act the way you would like them to act.
Now for role models. Our next president may very well be a woman. No political endorsement either way here. It's a fact. She may just win it while her opponent is acting like the worst fourth grade discipline problem kid on a long recess with no supervision. (Maybe he had poor role models. Don't know. Don't care. No excuse for him.)
I like to show my students positive female role models in life and in careers throughout the year, not just during Women's History Month, and finding new examples of strong and successful women all around us, I am continually amazed that I never run out of new and exciting discoveries.
A few examples:
Kathryn Sullivan of NOAA, who placed the Hubble telescope in space, and now protects the oceans and atmosphere of our planet, launching a media campaign for #EarthIsBlue and educating our young people about the importance of protecting this jewel of a planet that has been entrusted to us.
Marie Daly, an African American PH.D. chemist (did I mention the first one?) who researched healthy foods and lifestyle habits that could lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. She did this in the 1940s. She also gave back by way of encouraging young people of color to apply for careers in science and medicine.
Jane Goodall, who lived among and studied the wild chimpanzees of Tanzania. I had heard of her before of course, but did not know of her extensive work in science education for young people.
Just a few. The list is long. Strong, ambitious, motivated to reach and grasp and learn. And then to give back. Leave a legacy. Role models we can aspire to. No one cares if they were large or small. They had no need to point out the size of their own or any other person's body parts or crowd size. Their interests were in leading from the heart, with all the knowledge they could acquire, in an area they had a passion for exploring. What more could we ask of our own children, or of our leaders?
So for this month, at least, and hopefully going forward, let's try encouraging all of our students to read like a girl, interact like a girl, study like a girl, discuss like a girl, aspire like a girl, and to lead like a girl. Let's encourage them to do all these things in the way the best of our role models (including you!) would do them. Get involved in some research and project based learning focused on these and other role models. And watch those immature behaviors and unkind actions melt away.
You may like browsing these resources to get started (just click!):
If I can do anything to help make your job easier this year, please let me know in the comments below! If I use your idea for a new blog post, you will win a TpT $10 gift card. If I create a new resource for Rainbow City Learning based on your idea, you will win a free copy of that resource to use in your classroom! (Note: all comments are reviewed before appearing on my blog. It may take a few hours for your comment to appear! Thanks for your patience!)
For more ideas to try this month, please check out the fabulous bloggers of Teacher Talk!
If you would also like to be a part of Teacher Talk, we are a group of teacher bloggers who share posts that are heavy on the ideas with just a little selling of our educational materials at TPT. For more information about joining The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative, go to https://bit.ly/3o7D1Dv. Feel free to email me at retta.london@gmail.com if you have any questions.
