Twenty-four here.
Seventeen three times a day.
Thirteen there.
Highest in rank; least in number: a mighty eight they say.
In sum, I am charged with sixty-three souls.
Responsible for educating them,
But it always goes beyond books to setting goals.
Teaching them to stand on God’s word. To trust Him.
A daunting task indeed.
Each child a blank slate.
Oh, but so great is the need!
How does one fill a hollow vessel? Find the precise bait?
Soon-to-be doctors, lawyers, athletes, and actors are among the brood.
Potential sparkles in their eyes,
Yet resolve and drive are limited and crude.
Deficient in desire but wroth in attitude.
Yes, children are the future,
But they are ignorant of their past.
Brawny in faith, I know nurture can overcome nature.
Though the forecast is bleak, I am up for the task.
The callous child wants freedom to accept love.
The seemingly dull-witted student blossoms with independence:
A chance to do-it-by-myself rather than be handled with kid gloves;
An opportunity to develop worth; to know one’s substance.
However, it is not easy; that is, the path to success.
I’ve raised my voice in anger and diminished in esteem.
Feeling desperate when sincerity becomes cheesy.
Heightening my frustration and lowering their self-esteem.
Luckily, it is never too late to start anew.
The rising sun blots out despair,
Giving us another chance to win. To be true
Sirens of Christ’s love ... to clear the air.
In teaching, the teacher is a student always.
Discovering that learning is not about reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic alone.
It’s about valuing a person, not parting ways.
Assuring him or her that the classroom is everyone’s home.
Our Fear
There is something perversely unjust about sending
children into the world. Away from the
loving gaze of our watchful eyes. Estranged
from our protective embrace. For we know,
that no one can love our babies as
unconditionally as we do. We
fear that even at school – the one place that
should be a second home – our kids will be
neglected. Abused, devalued, dismissed.
We expect our precious children to
learn the ABC’s and 123’s. To
use “arboreous” in a sentence and
quote extensively from
We want this – all of this – even if we
know that our children speak too loudly.
Repeat themselves until acknowledged. Write
letters backwards while looking directly
at them. We want more for our children.
Though they pronounce the silent “k” in 'knife'
or learn better by tapping or standing.
Unable to sit quietly with feet
on the floor and eyes facing straight-ahead.
We want ... No, we demand nothing less than
the very best from our children’s schools.
Second to parents and sometimes in place
of us, children seek the love and safety
believed to be the foundation of schools.
Willingly, children hug teachers. Laugh at
jokes they do not grasp. Ignore remarks that
weaken the spirit and rob the soul. Yes,
there is something perversely unjust about sending
children into the world. Compromising
their humanity and their dignity.
Freshmen Year
Richard – the College Student
descendant of an African tribe
whose name i cannot pronounce
and whose culture i am unfamiliar
black but not as the night
more akin to a tinge
of creamy caramel latte
american through and through
breathing life into every patriotic syllable
of francis scott key’s battle hymn
yet i am seen as something
so very foreign to me
labeled the degenerate, the robber, the nigger
standing on the outside of your judgment
scholastic prowess ignored
potential and worth underestimated
accordingly, you do not understand why
a grade of “b” is not good enough for me
whom you regard as the dark one
for your sake, one day you may see,
that the black man – even in diversity –
is merely a man and as worthy as any man
Soul Food
My mother wore patches of white flour
as badges of honor.
