We liberals like to talk about safe spaces. We want to build spaces where everyone feels comfortable. We don’t like hostility. I believe many of us live in a shy box, fearing rejection if we say something unpopular, and so we want to have a space where we can express ourselves without fear. I’ve come…
Author: Clio
WHY?
As part of the first week icebreaker activities, we did Three Things on Friday. For “Three Things”, students in groups come up with a list of three things that satisfy a scenario. The first one is common enough: “You’re trapped on a deserted island with three people of your choosing. Who are they?” Last year,…
Photographs and Bias
I live in a mostly black neighborhood. I just saw a white man, a 20-something, standing on the street corner clearly taking a picture of something down the street. It could have been a series of photos, it could have been video, I don’t know. At first, I noticed I was watching him with mild…
Year Eight, Week One
My first week of school is now over. During this week more than any, one thing that’s on my mind is where we start with our trust levels with students. These comments are based on my experience as a high school teacher. Some teachers seem to think that all of our students lie to us,…
Observing the Whole Person
I love underdog stories. I think most of us do. As a teacher, I’m particularly aligned to admire the tale of someone overcoming a great obstacle in order to succeed. It’s important to remember that our most vulnerable youth can confront the obstacles put in their way. At the same time, we can become so…
Express Yourself
Watching my child play online with his friends, I notice that one of the primary ways that we learn how to navigate our emotions is by seeing others express them. It is common and normal to playfully refuse to follow requests, and to make inappropriate requests. My child is currently playing Minecraft, for instance, and…
This Is Only Tempora
In a public restroom today, I saw a sticker that said, “this is only tempora”. It was missing two letters because someone had attempted to pull it off, succeeding only in tearing off the lower right corner. The top of the sticker was also peeled down slightly, as if someone had tried to roll it…
How To Be an Antiracist (Book Review)
A decade ago, Jay Smooth released a video entitled, “How To Tell Someone They Sound Racist.” The message was straightforward: Focus on the deed, not the person. Don’t accuse someone of being racist (or, worse yet, “a racist”); instead, emphasize that the action is racist. Smooth’s emphasis is on the idea that calling someone racist…
Invisibility
One of the characteristics of the Avoidant is a pervasive feeling of invisibility. This is related to low self-esteem and feelings of insignificance. One of my coping mechanisms has been my ability to express myself through writing. Prior to the advent of social media, writing was generally a non-confrontational communication method. Writers are separated from…
Hills and Bridges
I was taking an online mental health quiz and I got to this question: “Do you often see potential for danger in situations that others in your life take part in without a second thought?” And I thought about my recurring fear of hills and bridges, and how it feels like a metaphor for ……