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May 10, 2013Posted by Knight in Uncategorized

Evil Teacher Who Crushes Dreams

Your dreams won’t come true, I told my class. They are young; sixth grade to be accurate. I told them their some of their dreams won’t come true because dreams don’t just come true; certain things has to happen and certain attitudes has to be in place.

They looked at me with a face that you are probably be making right now. I hate to assume because the embarrassment that can come out of assumptions, but I bet you are wondering what in the world would compel me to be this evil man who breaks children hearts. Maybe evil or dream crushing is in my DNA, or maybe I like to be honest and realistic to the urban students that I teach. From what I can see and from what I know from my own life, world has not had too much pity on them and it may not have much more pity when they are adults.

See, the problem is that far too many of these kids have dreams that can come true and I believe in them with my whole heart, but some have already started tendencies that can be detrimental to their future. So when I told them their dreams won’t come true, I explained to them that this may be the case because some are not willing to work hard enough for what they want.

There are always reasons that can explain why any kids does what they do, but I sometimes do not like to see those reasons as much as I like to look for solutions. Plus I don’t have enough time tonight to get into that.

At 6th grade, I can see many already falling to the trap of instant gratification and feeling of entitlement that these neighborhoods can breed. Some adolescent psychologists might lecture me on these children stage in the life cycle. But for the kids I teach, they are adults in eleven and twelve year olds bodies and they are far advanced in their ways than most “regular” kids; by this, I mean one can’t compare them to students who grow up under less duress. By in their ways, I also mean that the “hood” has educated them in ways that formal school can never do. For instance, the “hood” has taught them that waiting for things are not the norm; it has to be had now. This is why many schools are resulting to reward systems for get children to learn. I don’t know this as a fact and I am not against rewarding students for good work, I just have a problem with it because it can become the only motivating means to learn, and when the rewards runs out, the student may actually regress. I also have no science to back this thought, I am just thinking from using common sense analysis. The “hood” has taught our kids that they must be rappers and athletes to make it big in America, but what the “hood” does not say or show is that even the rappers and athletes – the ones that last and don’t go broke –work very hard to stay at the pinnacle of their craft. No one earns anything worthwhile if they can’t learn how to earn it, which gives them a blueprint for maintaining it. Even the drug dealers, who our “hood” kids look up to sometimes because they are blinking and rocking the latest trend, sometimes must learn how to work hard to stay in the game. Though is it not a game I would recommend to any of my students, but the principle or hard work applies here too.

I think dreaming is fantastic and can inspire all of us to reach great heights, but dreams are useless if one cannot work for it. I say useless because it will stay in your head and never come to fruition. My students sometimes think I am harsh because I question their principles and work ethic and I make them re-do assignments until I think they have tapped the genius in themselves before I accept their work. I am hard, and I get that. Yes, they are in 6th grade, but I am hoping that all teachers who teach these “hood” kids and all kids everywhere start such a process early. We have to be real with our kids and then help guide them to their genius—what it ever it may be from an early age. The world is cruel, so why keep telling Cinderella stories when they are big bad wolves everywhere in the world they are going into. Those who build straw houses usually do not fare well.

I will try to get all the answers to solve the world’s educational problems. Just give me a few years—ten-year tops. I hope my motivation never dies. This little blurb of mine is not over, I’m just tired now and I have learned not to force my genius when I am tired. Furthermore, some really weird but interesting music video is on, so I will watch it now.

CAUTION: Everything that I write is open for discussion and I stand corrected. These are my thoughts and I take full responsibility for them.

Sincerely, Your Royal Highness King Richard of Kingdom 137 May 9, 2013 [9:18pm]

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