Rational
Over the last few years, I have noticed a decline in my students’ belief in their country and their ability to succeed within it. To be honest, I have also been conflicted about the current perception of the nation. The news, social media, and continued disenfranchisement of people of color have been an inescapable reality that continues to stain our country’s reputation. I’ve been extremely critical of the nation both in and out of the classroom, frustrated with the gross disparities in wealth, privilege and the treatment of minorities. These issues are real and should never be taken lightly; still, if we only focus on the negative, we eclipse the opportunity for the future and leave those we teach with little hope for the future which, in the end, is counterproductive to the entire mission of education.
This year, I plan to pivot from previous units I have written at Yale and talk about the promise of America, a promise that is not realized easily or without trials. In a world where instant gratification seems to be the standard line of currency, I want to create a unit that highlights a time where the nation made a long-term investment in itself and its future, it’s people and its perception by others around the world.
Moreover, the unit’s focus will be on the youth’s involvement in organizing and implementing a successful campaign strategy. This is important because my students sometimes question what type of impact they can have in making a change in government and their own circumstances. This was a time in history where young people were able to be part of that change, not only for America but for one another. I believe in the objectives of this unit because I was part of it. I worked my way from a being a volunteer to a staff member where I had the chance to travel from Virginia, Ohio, Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas, finally ending this chapter of my life in Washington D.C. Every office was filled with people from diverse backgrounds, both racially and economically. We all worked seven day, eighty hours weeks where we were fueled by fast food and idealism. The campaign provided clear goals and roles that the team was eager to commit to and invest in. Most worked for little or no pay and everyone I worked with wanted to genuinely create a better tomorrow by working today. I have never worked with a more youthful and optimistic team that believed in their candidate, their cause and one another.
Looking back at it, my adventure with the campaign was probably the most ambitious I’ve ever been in my life. I loved that team. We looked out for one another, walked in lock step and accomplished something once believed to be an unthinkable reality. I transferred that same spirit to my venture in education. I came to Pittsburgh to help turn around a school that had been failing for years, again, trying to do the impossible.
To be honest, to me, turning around a school has been harder than electing the first African American president. Systems, contracts, discrimination and poverty are barriers that cannot be deconstructed in a few months. Furthermore, you don’t have the autonomy to get who you want on or off the bus; you’re simply not at liberty to move how you want or when you want. And yet, within my own classroom I try my best to evoke the energy and optimism I once had during that chapter in life. I hope that if I can transfer that optimism to my students that they, too, will be able to believe that all things are possible in their own lives.
Comments: