Dear Friends, colleagues, and former students (friends), I wanted to post this last week, but I refrained because I did not want to start a controversy. Today, after listening to NPR's "Fresh Air," and the conversation about the tragedy in South Carolina, I changed my mind.
We are either " part of the problem, or part of the solution."
Do you remember when we were in the classroom and a tender or controversial subject came up, that we stopped class, formed a circle, and we honestly engaged each other in a conversation?
I fear that we no longer can do this without raising alarms. There were no real taboo subjects only guidelines like:
You may not speak about someone who is not here to defend themselves.
What said in the room, stays in the room.
Mutual respect for all.
All listen.
One person speaks at a time.
Well, I fear that we have lost the art of genuine communication. We are no longer allowed to drift from the curriculum, and we may not honestly express our views as teachers. I recall a time when we discussed everything in an open circle, and when you asked, I shared my feeling about these topics. We kept it real, or so I thought.
Do you remember this?
You may not speak about someone who is not here to defend themselves.
What said in the room, stays in the room.
Mutual respect for all.
All listen.
One person speaks at a time.
Well, I fear that we have lost the art of genuine communication. We are no longer allowed to drift from the curriculum, and we may not honestly express our views as teachers. I recall a time when we discussed everything in an open circle, and when you asked, I shared my feeling about these topics. We kept it real, or so I thought.
Do you remember this?
