“Fire everywhere.” How to find the joy of teaching (opinion)

Today's contribution continues a series in which educators share how they control themselves and their classes in today's chaotic waters.

“How do we go?”

Christina Torres Cawdery is a teacher, writer, scholar, mother and runner who is currently based in Honolulu:

“Look, mom, there is fire everywhere!”

My 3-year-old points to the screen of the Pacific palisades while burning. My forehead bends, I see that scenes from my childhood rise in flames and cry about what they have lost. Below this, the news talks about another school shooting. Before that, it spoke of book bans, ice attacks in schools and continued to serve worldwide. I am not sure what is worse: observing or observing these things as the pictures in the bright eyes of my two toddlers reflect while we prepare for the day.

At this point in our history, it is difficult to wake up every morning and create a room for children and young people that they can feel around and feel safe.

One of the most beautiful gifts for motherhood is probably one of the hardest: there are not many other options. Regardless of whether I am happy, tired or desperate, my children still jump on me in the morning and demand cuddling, milk and laughter and joy. Even if I want to lie down and crumble, I honestly can simply … not. I can find respect and grief, but there is an omnipresent feeling that I just hope to hope and have to go as well as possible.

I often look at this when I come to school every day. Yes, it may be easier (or even safer) to leave the classroom, but I am in a position that offers me the room to make changes, make changes and go forward, and I would like to use this privilege as positive as possible .

Of course the next question is: “How?” How do we go forward when the world seems to crumble?

First, I'm looking for joy Whenever possible. As many activists have shown us, joy is a revolutionary act in view of the adversity. The search for joy in our work is not only to our own advantage, but also serves to find joy in our students.

So I ask my students authentically about their day. I ask you what you had for lunch. If my teaching partner says good morning, she insists that our students say it back and to each other … and mean It. “I have hard conversations about the world with my students and also find silly videos that show you, share funny things that my children have done, find time for karaoke in the classroom, search good news and even the smallest victories Celebrate.

Second, I make it the goal of providing so much diversity and nuances in the voices that enter my classroom every day. As an English teacher, it is my ultimate task to talk about stories – my stories, the stories of other people, the stories of my students – and I recognize the immense privilege and responsibility in this work. Therefore, I am thoughtful about the type of stories and the way we deal with them as a community. Whether I can rethink classic textsInclude them in a new wayor make sure that we discuss difficult and complex topicsI am actively working on using the time I have with children to examine the world around us through text and to question critically.

After all, there has never been a more critical time to teach the students the power of words. We can show examples of words that help us process, mourn and heal; Organize words that organize action and change; Or words that raise, call or raise. And we can also offer the students ways to use words in this way.

It sounds clichéd now, but if we are in a world that consistently questions and ensures the nature of truth and ensures that you become informed citizens, but also learn how to organize and connect to yourself to keep yourself and each other safely. Maybe hopefully you can not only keep your community safely, but the change for a better world that you deserve, deeply deserve and create.

So if my child points to the screen and says that there is fire everywhere, I muck my forehead. I nod. “Is it scary?” I ask her. She nods with her head. I created them and pointed out the following pictures that come together to help each other and share resources. Then I take it to the garden we grow. “Yes, baby,” I say to her, “there is fire everywhere, and one day the most beautiful plants can sprout there. Let us learn how to help you grow. “

Many thanks to Christina for sharing her experiences and advice.

I wrote the firstsecond and thirdly Contributions in this series about how educators should react to the recent measures of the Trump management.

Morgan Polikoff wrote about educational research And researchers.

Christie Nold and Sarah Cooper also shared advice on social sciences.

Mary Beth Hertz discussed teaching machine skills of media literacy.

Consider contributing to a question that should be answered in a future contribution. You can send me one at lferlazzo@epe.org. If you send it, let me know whether I can use your real name if it is selected or whether you want to prefer to stay anonymously and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter @Larryryerlazzo.

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