Thanksgiving with the fam

I spent Thanksgiving at "some of Charlie's peoples" house, and it was a whirlwind of children, animals, overeating, games, and laughter. The house was full of my cousins, aunts and uncles, inlaws and outlaws. Good times. To make it even awesome-er, my aunt put us up in a lovely B&B. Fun family time followed by relaxation in style. Best Thanksgiving ever.

Tegan's visit! Pics for Mom

A student letter

The semester is almost over, and I had the counselor come in today for a "come to Jesus" meeting with my students. So many of them are failing not from lack of understanding but from pure laziness. That don't fly with me, chilluns! Here is a letter that one of my lovely girls (the one of "follow your dream!" video fame) wrote me:

Mrs. Pennell,
I sorry I didn't turn my work on time but I thank you so much for giving me a chance to make it up. To be honest if my mother knew I didn't turn my work in it wouldn't be a pretty sight. But next semester I promise you that you wont have this problem. My work will be on time and you wont have to worry about me talking or making lower than a 85 on anything. Thats my promise to you.

A.S.

I love it- let's hope she makes good on her promise.

When will it get better?

I'm a huge fan of Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project. If you haven't watched the videos, you should. It is geared towards queer and trans teens who are being bullied, but I find it just as helpful to watch them. My friend and I even made a video- find us if you can- and it was a cathartic experience. As a community, we need ways to tell our stories and talk to each other, especially those of us who find ourselves isolated.

I recently read the latest Alice book, my favorite teen series that I've been reading since I was 11. There are only 2 or 3 more books left, and I know I'll shed a few tears when I read the last book. Alice has been a part of my life for so long, I'll hate to see her go. Some of the books get to be very after-school special, but I love them anyway. The most recent one, called Alice in Charge, touches on this hot topic of bullying. A speech by Alice's principal, while heavy handed, struck a chord with me:

"This school will always stand for the free expression of ideas and concerns, but we will not tolerate bullying, vandalism, violence or racial slurs. To students of every race, nationality, religion or sexual orientation, we promise that we will do our utmost to protect you and your rights in this country. To those who would like to express a different opinion, no matter how unpopular it may be, we invite you to engage in respectful dialogue. We do not prosecute students just because they might have different views on political or social issues. But we do expect responsible behavior of high school students. Demand this of yourselves and of your friends, and make this school proud."

This got to me mainly because I'd like to hear something similar from my school's administration. While I don't necessarily think that offering open dialogue between hostile teenagers, especially when power is unequal, is a good idea, having this fantasy principal that would even suggest such a thing seems so far out of reach. I think that the students need to hear a strong stand on acceptance (not tolerance- I refuse to teach tolerance) in a public way, and not individually when they use a slur. I have to constantly battle racism and homophobia in my classroom. Recently, I've been discriminated against by staff and parents for my sexuality. This makes me fearful for my job, and makes me even more careful of how I present myself. I can't let bigotry get by in my classroom, but I can't get fired either. So sometimes I feel as if I'm walking on eggshells.

Just recently, a teacher was suspended for standing up for homophobia in his classroom. Fortunately for this teacher, a very eloquent 14 year old stood up for him at a school board meeting. I hope that if something similar happens to me, someone will do the same. I just hope they're able to do so with such intelligent grace.