I Lived Through Disappointment
I was a teacher of teens, in a city detention center, then later at the state mental hospital for 25 years. I was not a Special Ed. teacher; I taught regular classes and most of my students were bright and academically up to grade level.
One day, about 3 years before I retired, I was about to give a history lesson to my class of kids about 14-15 years old. It was on the civil rights movement in the south in the US in the 1960s.
I decided, perhaps foolishly, to incorporate some of my own life experiences into the lesson.
I told the class that the lesson was on the fight for civil rights in the south in the 1960s and then I said:
"I was involved in this movement when I was young. In fact, I was in Mississippi as a civil rights worker during the famous Voter's Registration drive in 1964. Remember that movie we saw last week, [i]Mississippi Burning[/i]? I was there during that terrible summer. In fact, I was in a bombing at one point, though I wasn't seriously hurt, and a couple of days later, I was arrested by the Sheriff of Noshoba County, the guy who killed those three civil rights workers like they showed in the movie. I was sure lucky he let me go--after he threatened to kill me! I had a lot of interesting experiences that summer! If anyone wants to ask me any questions now, or during the lesson, I'd be happy to answer them."
There was a silence. Then a kid put up his hand.
I smiled eagerly "Yes?...Do you have a question?"
"When can we go outside?" he asked.
One day, about 3 years before I retired, I was about to give a history lesson to my class of kids about 14-15 years old. It was on the civil rights movement in the south in the US in the 1960s.
I decided, perhaps foolishly, to incorporate some of my own life experiences into the lesson.
I told the class that the lesson was on the fight for civil rights in the south in the 1960s and then I said:
"I was involved in this movement when I was young. In fact, I was in Mississippi as a civil rights worker during the famous Voter's Registration drive in 1964. Remember that movie we saw last week, [i]Mississippi Burning[/i]? I was there during that terrible summer. In fact, I was in a bombing at one point, though I wasn't seriously hurt, and a couple of days later, I was arrested by the Sheriff of Noshoba County, the guy who killed those three civil rights workers like they showed in the movie. I was sure lucky he let me go--after he threatened to kill me! I had a lot of interesting experiences that summer! If anyone wants to ask me any questions now, or during the lesson, I'd be happy to answer them."
There was a silence. Then a kid put up his hand.
I smiled eagerly "Yes?...Do you have a question?"
"When can we go outside?" he asked.
70-79, F
