It Doesn't Matter if You're Black or White

It Doesn’t Matter if You’re Black or White

One of the other new teachers who started at the same time as me was the art teacher. He was a nice fellow, slightly nervous, but nice nonetheless. 

He had a really, REALLY tough year. I can honestly say that as bad as my year was, his was worse (and remember I had to press charges on a student). 

Students were wild down in the art room (which was referred to by most as “the dungeon”). They would throw chairs, they would start fights, they would scream, some would even engage in sexual activity.  It got to the point that the art teacher would be out weeks at a time due to the stress his students caused him. 

At the end of the year the superintendent decided he would like to take all the new teachers to dinner. While at this dinner he thought it would be fun for everyone to stand up and tell how their first year of teaching went. 

When it was the art teacher’s turn he stood up and said, “Well…my first year was reallyrough. The kids caused me to have a slight breakdown, but I’m on meds and doing A-ok now, and I’m coming back for more next year!” 

After he revealed this information the room was silent. No one really knew what to say. Finally, the superintendent said “okay….youthere how about YOUR year?”

The next day at school I was speaking with our resource officer and he said “let me tell you about my day.”

He proceeded to tell me that during 3^rdblock the art teacher pressed the emergency button and stated, “can you please send the officer down to my room, there are three students smoking down here.”

The officer made his way down to the art room and asked the art teacher to  “tell him which students were smoking” The art teacher replied that he wasn’t sure of their names. The officer said, “Well, what were they wearing?”

“I couldn’t really tell you that”

“Okay, were they male or female?

“yeaaaaa, I’m not really sure”

“Can you even tell me if they were black or white?”

“No, I don’t think I could”

“But, there were three of them?”

“Yes, that much I know for sure.”

“Okay then….”

I’m thinking I’d like to know just what meds he is on and subscribe to them myself.