The Children Matter

I follow a mostly-upbeat social media platform that features millions of photos and short videos, and I spend maybe an hour a day scrolling though the pictures, reading the captions and the comments. I often find news items that aren’t reported in popular sources, which then forces me to dig up the facts and uncover hidden truths. Some of the comments are spot-on hysterical. Others, however, get trolled to death until the original poster deletes the photo. Standards, both written and unspoken, are followed, and certain original posters (OP) are famously followed because of their unique perspective on things.

Posters come from all walks of life: there’s the engineer who shows us what the undersides of houses look like, the large animal vet, the dog guy, the poster of memes “for these trying times,” the weight losers, and so many others that we’ve come to enjoy as a distraction from all the chaos in our dismal world. One post caught my eye because teachers recognize and understand other teachers on a whole ‘nother level.

This teacher posted their story about needing time off at the end of last year, and their school leaders took that time to basically destroy or “lose” their personal belongings. This was an elementary teacher, and they had many rainbow-themed items, unicorns, and basically filled their classroom with color and warmth. They had created an ideal space that felt safe to the students with plenty of books, craft materials, bulletin boards, and cute chairs – all with their own money.

To discover that the powers that be didn’t approve of them and took advantage of the time they took off was a slap in the face of educators everywhere. They didn’t know where to go. So many items were ruined or gone, and they weren’t in a place to afford replacing them. They didn’t know how they’d make it back to school in the fall with enough to supply a proper classroom.

I read this post. I felt a rare anger within me because these administrators weren’t just hurting them but hurting the children. Taking away things in a classroom that made them all feel special. Many teachers take a second job over the summer to help bridge the financial gap because, as we all know, teachers don’t get paid diddly squat. At the bottom of their post was a wish list for classroom supplies. I don’t know if parents are fully aware of the money that teachers put into their classrooms in addition to the blood, sweat, and tears. Many parents just complain about extensive supply lists.

I checked out the list, and although I’m on a limited budget, you bet your bippy I found things to send them from Amazon. There was a slight monetary exchange rate issue with some of the items, but I tried to supply as many things as possible, especially rainbow and colorful items. They were treated poorly because of an orientation that has nothing to do with their success in the classroom or the impact on their students.

They contacted me through the message function of the social media app, and we had a conversation about the muddled situation going on in their life. I was talking to a stranger; however, we’re both teachers, and therefore we’re family. It didn’t matter that there were 1700 miles between us – they could be my next-door-teacher in a different multiverse.

Our chat continued, and I was happy to learn that things were going better than expected this year. Their back-to-school experience was pleasant, and they received all the items on the wish list. Any extras that were received were sent to other teachers in the area who needed them. The original “difference of opinion” was resolved, and they have what they needed to continue doing what is desperately needed for the next generation. I also work in a state that wants to erase student gender identity in their formative years, which sets a dangerous precedent. Young students don’t fully understand the reality of their identity; they just need someone who listens and cares, a safe place, and a bully-free environment. When teachers are bullied, that sends the miserable message that “You are different; therefore, you are less than worthy.”

They sent me a thank-you card in the mail, and part of it said, “You are one of the [ones] that helped me continue to try to be excited about going back to work…I’ve got a lot of new stuff to make me smile.” Which, in turn, will make the children smile. There’s nothing more important than that in these trying times.