This is what you should do:
Love the earth and sun and animals,
despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
stand up for the stupid and crazy,
devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants,
argue not concerning God,
have patience and indulgence toward the people...
reexamine all you have been told in school or church or in any book,
dismiss what insults your very soul,
and your flesh shall become a great poem.

~ Walt Whitman ~

Mrs. Dunn was a character.  Her classroom shared her flamboyant personality as well.  She taught English in an inner city school that I attended back in the 90’s.  There was a lot of chaos in that school, the room and in my teenage mind.  I don’t want to remember much from that era, except that I still cherish 2 of her lessons. 

My mom, a teacher, had spoken of Whitman and Thoreau with fondness, but to me it sounded like bla, bla, bla.  It wasn’t until I experienced their words on my own that I understood what my mom was trying to say.  Mrs. Dunn demanded critical thinking in her class, which became a  character of mine.  I do tend to over-think and analyze certain things, if not most, but I can’t imagine life in any other way.  I must go beyond the spoken and written words and find its true meaning, and not just settle for an interpretation or perception.    

On the day after watching Dead Poets Society the class full of teenage rebels, thugs, valley girls, nerds, geeks, punks, and over-medicated children surprised her by standing on our desks and reciting “Oh! Captain My Captain.”  I don’t think we spoke all the words because she was quickly moved to happy tears.  (I don’t think we memorized the whole thing either) Her eyes beamed with pride- just as bright as the multi-colored lights on the plastic white Christmas tree that she kept up all thru the year.  I don’t know what was more distracting, her bright copper colored hair?  Perhaps her Boston accent?  The tree?

Mrs. Dunn criticized and encouraged at the same time.  She was always fair and open to suggestions.  She cared about each and every single one of us as if we were hers, and if not, she sure knew how to pretend!  That is something that I do myself.  I care for other people’s children as if they were my own, and in some rare occasions I do pretend.  (in all honesty)  I too have been moved to happy tears by some of my students, and know exactly what Mrs. Dunn experienced on that day, minus the Xmas tree.

I must say, that when I come home and get on the phone and the person on the other line wants to talk to me about school and education I quickly change the topic to politics.   Here’s a music video you might “enjoy” about Teaching to the Test .  We were surprised to hear that it’s very likely that we’re moving to 16 standardized tests per year!  (sobbing)

I do miss the days of no parent emails, no texting during class, no cell phones, no state-mandated-testing, of having art and music, and yes, even class time to write freely in our journals....and thinking critically.  (And to think that I’m just the assistant.)  I think life was simpler when I was part of the teenage rebellion…

(((hugs)))