Going through my mother’s boxes I located a folder of my college papers. Looking through the pages I was struck by the fact that they were all hand typed sometimes more than once as I edited. I thought about all the work I put into those papers, not just the typing but the thought process and the creativity. One of the papers was a typed final essay with 7 different questions about Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Maddening Crowd. I was struck by how easy having a computer makes all that writing a little bit different. A little easier to edit. And I thought…kids have it so easy these days.
And then I really thought about that statement and I quickly amended it in my head. We’ve created chaos for our children. Gaming and social media, screen time and streaming or binging series after series. We’ve let them grow up too fast. Kids have far less time for just being kids; playing outside until dark kind of time. Activities keep them busy like soccer and basketball but competition is different than just play. I’m not going to get all the way on top of this soap box but I worry about our youngest demographic.
Picking up my phone today I had an email concerning a new Iowa Senate bill being presented that would restrict schools from teaching social emotional learning. People in favor of the bill believe the ridiculous notion that we are trying to indoctrinate students into a specific LGBTQ lifestyle or critical race theory because we as educators want to help them manage their emotions. And don’t get me started on House File 8-removing any instruction about gender identity or all that Ron DeSantis is attempting in Florida. It’s beyond heartbreaking as a teacher. Because we want kids to be themselves. Promoting empathy and kindness or teaching real history as a teacher should not make us criminals.
I know the world is different than the 1970’s and 80’s when I did most of my growing up yet common human decency should still be prevalent. I fear in today’s Republicans a return to a world long ago, one where anything different was the enemy. I read a picture book to young students in the library about a young girl wearing a Hijab as she begins 6th grade-it doesn’t mean that I’m promoting the Muslim religion. So much to navigate in these waters. Our public schools are doing a great job everyday, taking care of all the students that we have and SEL has been a great help for all of us. With all that kids have to manage today helping them to understand themselves more shouldn’t be threatening.
Angst.
Peaceful Reader 