yes? no? maybe?

I'm sitting in my classroom, utterly amazed at the astute-ness of my kids. Wow. This all started when I logged into the district's website to check my mail (oh happy day, it was empty), and a notice reached out and captured my attention. It was about a survey for school uniforms. Now, I must say, I could really care less if we had uniforms. If our district votes it in, I will support it (of course, I will have to listen to my child moan and groan but there's nothing new there). If they do not, I'll be just fine.

Now, about this survey...on many levels, I'm thrilled to see the district seeking input from stakeholders. Who knows if there's any credence; who knows if anyone will access our online opinions and let our voices be heard...what I am noticing at the very least is that the opportunity is there, increasingly so. And for that small gain, I am grateful. It's a shining beacon of hope amid the flurry of resumes and recommendation letters and gripe sessions that have created a veritable fog over my last few weeks. It's a glimpse of promise and whispers that all may not be lost. It's good. I hope that it will be handled with integrity and equity.

What the teacher in me, diligently searching for those teachable moments, saw was an opportunity for authentic writing. Kids are so much more adept at writing when it's real- not just something cooked up to give them a grade. And hey, who can blame them? I took the survey myself- as a parent- and noted the comment box at the end. All too often, I think comment boxes are left blank canvases, attesting to the fact that the give-a-hoot of a whole lotta peeps is "busted". Sigh. Well, I gathered my lil chickadees in close this morning, and I began chatting with them about opinions (we have all heard the expression that opinions are like boody-holes: everyone has one and most of them stink-- ha, well I chose NOT to use that particular analogy in class, but you get the idea...). We discussed what it means to validate an opinion; we talked about backing opinions with logistical support, and then the kids spent time in groups debating the pros and cons of school uniforms. I insisted that kids make an argument for BOTH sides of the issue to round out the open-mindedness factor and off they went. Most hauled out notebooks to make notes and develop their stance with support. Once they had composed sensible, cohesive paragraphs that stated their concerns or suggestions about school uniforms, I provided the option to use the 4 computers in our classroom to take the online surveys.

Some of my students voiced a concern that actually mirrors my own. What about enforcement? How will the policy be enforced and will it actually be the same for everyone? I swallowed the lump in my throat at that one and asked what was meant by that question. The student launched a bitter tirade about how rules didn't seem to apply to everyone. WOW...looky here, the kids DO indeed notice. It's a personal issue with which I am grappling as a teacher and a parent in this district. Sigh...apparently all kids are NOT equal. It depends on who your parents are. That's sad. Let's all take a moment to consider what messages this particular problem might be sending. SIGH again. I chose not to engage that kid in discussion (I know not where it may have led) but instead, thanked her for her contribution and moved on to the next question.

A couple kids actually thanked me as they forayed into the hallways, headed to their next class. Wow. Well, you're very welcome.