It's been so long since I've written. I've been busy teaching, mothering, singing. Writing seems to have fallen out of the equation, dropped from the routine.
My son turned 9 yesterday. He's still the same kid, but it's clear that he's growing older. He is exchanging e-mail with his classmates about who will be invited to his birthday party, whether certain girls like or hate certain boys. I don't know if I'm ready for this. But time passes and I have no choice but to be ready.
I've been singing every Friday with Sudanese Band. It's been fun. I'm getting more comfortable and people are starting to say things like, "I'm a big fan!" which is just amusing. I'm not a singer. Just a teacher who enjoys singing. I'm sure there's a difference. But I like that people actually look forward to hearing me sing, come to hear me. I find it strange, though, knowing how many amazing singers there are in the world. And though I think I sound good sometimes, I personally know many people who are much better singers than I am.
School has been frustrating. I just feel like I am on a different wavelength than so many of the people I work with. For Spirit Week, the senior section had a cupcake eating contest... in a country where people are starving. Then a water balloon fight... in a country which is half desert and poor people sometimes have to pay to get potable water from donkey carts. But we've got more than enough and we're not afraid to waste it openly.
My partner teacher and curriculum coordinator asserted in a recent planning meeting that some kids are just not as smart as other kids and we shouldn't expect that much from them. They couldn't seem to understand why the language of "not smart" was problematic. I know some children struggle with certain academic tasks, but I fully believe that every child has strengths and that intelligence is not a singular attribute. And there are some kids who are amazing thinkers who struggle to complete academic tasks. I mean, Einstein was a terrible student. There is no "smart or not smart." There are degrees of strengths and struggles in every area of the academic and non-academic curriculum. And I feel terrible for the children who have been labeled not-that-smart and who will not be pushed to achieve. (I loved my friend Julie's response to this: Some teachers are just not as smart as other teachers and we simply can't expect as much from them.)
Anyways... my boy wants to swim, so I should get a move on before it gets too late.
