As a child, I had a hard time understanding my teachers' attitude toward me - I knew they didn't think highly of me, but I didn't know why. I can speculate on it now from an adult perspective, but I don't know the reason.
Ben Matthews was the first male teacher I ever had, and the first that seemed to believe in my potential. In spite of my bad grades and general 'poor white trash kid' image, he got me into an accelerated learning program in the school district. Two days a week, I went to classes at another school, where we learned things that they didn't think an average fifth-grader would understand.
And I flourished in those classes. Mr. Matthews realized I would do better with a more challenging curriculum, and surrounded by other students who were as bright as I was.
I remember studying archaeology and the Cretan civilization. To this day, I have an amateur's interest in archaeology and ancient civilizations that began with that class.
I guess that was when I realized I wasn't the worst damn kid in the school.
1 comment:
My experience of teaching is that many families have physically or emotionally absent fathers and that their children have a white hot need for strong male role models. Women teachers necessarily lack the experience of growing up as a boy, and the consequence is that they have their blind spots, prejudices and sterotypes that are not helpful when teaching young males. School itself, as we practice it in America, is designed to force children to show up on time, buy into the process and become nice, passive factory workers at the Ford plant. However, many young males (if not most or all) have a built-in problem with this paradigm. I've had some conversation with Geo. O and I know his experience matches mine in many regards. You have no idea how much your teacher is thankful for you.
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