Story 10 Is it true you told my son…..?
I’ll not forget my first back to school night; not ever nor never. As I had just finished up the unit on drugs with the students, I did a brief outline of the entire program for the parents utilizing about half the allotted time, so I smiled and asked if there were any questions. No sooner had that gotten out of my mouth and a hand shot up from the middle of the room: “Is it true that you told my son that you didn’t care if he smoked marijuana or not?”
Dead silence! I now looked upon an ocean of eyes locked upon mine, all of them silently saying: “This better be good.” Surprised that my suddenly dry mouth allowed me to go on, thanks to that entity that seems to hang with me whispered into my ear, and so I answered: “I think that’s been a modification of what I actually said. I would imagine it comes from my comment that I didn’t want them to smoke it because I did or didn’t. Even more, I didn’t want them doing anything for that reason. I want them to examine the data and make their own decision because someday, sooner or later, we are not going to be around to make their decisions for them. Now, I have great faith they will come to a proper decision if they truly examine all the data.”
More silence, but soon eyes began to look around at each other’s and heads began to nod…….all of which told me I was off the hook and would live to teach another day and was finally able to exhale.
Still, I had a lot of fun with that unit. I was a bit dumbfounded why students were so interested if I did or didn’t smoke the “weed”. I remember asking why should I smoke it and their answer was: “To get high”. … to which I’d comment: “But I am already high with excitement; with sobriety! Why would I want a drug to do it for me?”
That always would seem to be a stopper, but dumb ol’ me had to go on an add: “if one of you can give me a good enough reason to smoke a joint, I’ll set down and have one with you!” Yep, I had that much faith. Hardly a day went past when a student came in the room after school and pulled up a chair. He went on to explain that he smoked those “funny” cigarettes; and, that the reason he did was because he was being treated for a cancer that he wasn’t expected to live through; that he was told his life on earth would end within a year. More important, “grass” definitely helped with the pain. Thankfully, though, Alberto was not one to be mean and hold me to my word; something which I backed with my life.
Come to think of it, the young man had already came close to being chucked outta my class a few weeks earlier. That was the time teachers were urged to video tape their classes; then, reviewing them, make necessary improvements.
Yep, I went at it full throttle. Turning the recording machine on, I would go into my lectures with a persona that would shame politicians; day after day. It wasn’t long after I started, though, that Alberto came into the room after school and in his broken English, said: “Hey, man, you get rid of dat machine and go back being youself.”
Then, before I could come down on him, he walked out of the room. However, it wasn’t much longer that I started to tire of being what I was expected to be and went back to just being myself. And, you know what? An incredible rapport began to develop with the students.
How would you have graded the guy? All I know is that if I’m able to sneak through those Gates up there, I hope that Alberto will be waiting for me so I can give him the biggest hug ever. Yep, all too often, the teacher needs to be taught by the student.
Wishing you well,
LarryBme2@aol.com