Once upon a time in a city, there lived a little black girl who couldn’t wait until she could go to school. Her parents made sure their children understood their values about education and how important it was, especially for black people. The little girl worked hard to meet their expectations. She got ready for kindergarten.
During the primary grades, the little girl’s teachers dutifully laid the foundation for all future learning. Like her parents, the teachers also instilled the importance of education. It seemed to be a shared value within her community – family, friends, neighbors, the church. The little one soon mastered the basics and began creating her own opportunities for learning.
In the elementary grades, the girl continued to enjoy school and her academic growth soared. Good citizenship was also reinforced. Students learned how to take care of their school and one another. The great reward awaiting them might be an appointment to safety patrol, where you got to wear a safety belt and hold a colored flag so the little kids safely crossed the street. Or, if you helped in the cafeteria, you might get to make your own peanut butter cookie. The girl’s fondest memory was making fork impressions on the top of warm, chewy cookies and then eating them while the cafeteria workers bestowed accolades on the students for being good helpers.
It was around this time the girl noticed teachers. I mean really noticed them. They were always there waiting for the children on the playground or in the classroom, no matter how early the children came, and they were there long after it was time to go home. She wondered for awhile if perhaps there was a place in the lower level of the school building where the teachers actually lived. The teachers were there for in-between time as well, like when she got stuck on the monkey bars or when she’d hang around after the last bell to get feedback on handwritten pages of short stories she had labored over. It was during this time that the girl, so struck by the special devotion of teachers, decided that is what she wanted to be when she grew up.
During the tumultuous middle school years, the girl suffered growing pains. She tested authority and took pleasure in snatched experiences of freedom from being a kid. When it looked like she was being too fast, adults told her she had no business doing this, doing that. These people were all around her and were willing to report her antics to her parents. Subsequently, the girl would be steered -sometimes jerked – back onto the path of righteousness. Like at the elementary level, siblings often ended up with the same teachers, providing stability and clearly understood expectations.
This system of conspiring adults at school, church and in the neighborhood must have worked. The blossoming youth spun out of the tornado of pre-teens and landed on fairly solid ground. Besides the sports programs, there were over 35 different school clubs or activities to choose from that reinforced character-building and teamwork. Teachers, oblivious to liability suits, often took students to extracurricular events in their own cars and on their own time.
In high school, students came a half-hour early so they could hang out in the “Front Hall” – the gathering place for the cool. Fights were few, and they were always fistfights that were quickly squelched by fellow students who didn’t want their friends to be hurt or get in trouble. School events or sports activities were family affairs. On the serious side, you were expected to leave the nest after graduation and go on to trade school, college, a job or marriage. And you did. You were expected to become a contributing adult in society. And you did (for the most part).
This little girl was me.
I was inspired to go down memory lane by students like those at Gateway Tech who are struggling to make their school experiences meaningful and relevant. I applaud you for asserting your right to learn and for taking responsibility to chart your destiny. Education for life success is no fairy tale. It is a non-fiction, reality show – and you have the starring role.