Thursday morning a couple of my students told me about another student in my class who had been trying to tell a kindergartener what puberty was. Because there had been a couple of prior incidents that seemed unrelated until now with this "purveyer-of-knowledge-student", I started to document my concerns in an email to the principal. Before I could hit "send" I had to take my students to music.
I stopped in the restroom, 2 minutes, tops! As I come out of the faculty room I see 6 of my girls waiting for me. They all start gushing information and hand me a note with names and a list of words and phrases. I have to calm them down. We are in the middle of a busy hall intersection that at the moment is empty but voices carry so I direct them down the hall. There is a little bench for me to sit on. I start asking questions and taking notes.
Apparently, this particular purveyer of knowledge has accomplices. The "vocabulary" list begins with initials and I ask what they mean... all the girls blush... when they describe it for me I realize I know the term and the initials but it's street slang and so far from my use it didn't register until they start telling me... the other words and their meanings are worse...
So I get more names and details and inside I'm weeping because moms and dads now have to explain the birds and bees to ten-year olds and help them overcome the filth and disgust they feel because of how they were introduced to it. Goodbye innocence of youth. Whatever happened to the carefree days of just having fun. So sad... one mother even said to me that the light in her daughter's eyes had gone out and not returned yet...
I was on the phone for what seemed hours. The conversation with the girls' parents was hard and I had to assure them that the principal was aware and an investigation had already begun. The conversation with the boys' parents was harder. I had to tell them the words and gestures their sons had been using at school. And there are consequences...
Yesterday felt like a really, really, REALLY long day.
4 comments:
I am amazed at how much has changed since I went to school. I often find myself disgusted with the things that children are learning at such an early age. It makes me so sad!
It's a good thing we've got some good teachers to help sooth all these raunchy things. You and Jason will be among great bringers of truth and light to these poor babies who are growing up too fast nowadays.
Thank goodness there are good teachers like you that would take the time to help these kids. They obviously feel like they can trust you and that is a wonderful thing!
I am so grateful to have you working with my daughter every day! You are a great blessing to our lives! Hang in there!
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