Throughout my teaching years, there have been many moments (good and bad) with my students I will never forget. Here are a few:
(1) A student of mine had been given an ongoing hard time by another student. When things finally played out, a fight ensued. My student had been pushed and pushed (documented) and finally responded. When I asked my class what had happened, they told me when my guy was done, the other student's face looked like raw hamburger! Karma.
(2) One student came to me with her sister and asked if they could talk to me. I said, "Sure." She told me her sister was being sexually abused by a family member. We talked about it and decided the three of us should go to the principal. They said they were scared and asked if I would go with them. I agreed, but let them know I couldn't go into the meeting because of confidentially issues. Like numerous similar other situations, I never found out what happened. I still wonder.
(3) A student came into class one day looking pretty beat up. I asked what happened, and he matter-of-factly said, "Oh, nothing. I got in a fight with my father." I asked, "You mean a fight fight?" He said Yes. Just another day in paradise.
(4) When reading and talking about The Diary of Anne Frank, one student commented, "It's really too bad Hitler didn't have the time to finish what he started." From a kid who probably still wants a straight, white, Christian, male-dominated America.
(5) In another class reading the same book, the introductory lesson was a three-part sheet asking (a) What you know about Jewish people, (b) What you think you know, and (c) What you want to know. I learned from a couple of students that Jews are ugly, they have big noses, it's part of their religion to sleep with their daughters, and they're all rich. Really?
(6) Some students had an over-the-top hatred of gay people. Trying to more personalize the issue, I remember asking him what he'd do if he found out his brother was gay. His answer came quickly: "I'd kill him." (I did find out that many of the most vocal anti-gays were, in fact, gay and had to cover it up.)
(7) Finally, to end on a more positive note, after a great discussion (I have no idea what it was about), one student told me, "Wow! You really understand us - it's like you are one of us!"
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