“Why?”
He asks why and I feel the blood
quicken,
mind racing as I consider all I know.
Defiance?
Class clown?
Control?
If I yell to assert my power- is it
power I really own?
Perhaps I can be of selective hearing-
will the class move on?
He stares. How long does the silence
stretch?
Student versus teacher;
since when were we on opposite sides?
Again he asks: “Why?” Yes, I heard you.
But how do I respond?
Authoritative?
Passive?
Or…
In this same intrusive second after his
asking
I abruptly notice:
sincerity in the eyes- no mockery; no
grin;
have I misjudged him?
As a daughter, my parents ask why.
As a student, my teachers ask why.
As a teacher, my supervisors ask why.
Why can’t he?
Because he is my student-
Does that take away his rights?
Dawning
Realization
Acceptance
He asks “Why?” He does not challenge
My job
My knowledge
My ability
He simply wants to know the answer-
“Why?”
Thank you so much for your poem. I absolutely loved the situation you describe and how it starts out with a teacher wondering if the student is trying to gain power to the realization that he is sincere in request. I think as teachers we will encounter this experience repeatedly and I believe I will always remember your poem of discovery. You have a wonderful way of expressing yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love how you captured every thought passing through your mind in a tiny moment. As teachers, we have to make a thousand small decisions every day. Those thousand tiny decisions can add up to something very big, just as this one moment has a big impact on both student and teacher. Being a teacher is not like being an mathematician, where all the little bits add up to something predictable and controlled. Students and teachers alike are humans and school is a social environment, where outcomes can be unpredictable. But by remembering that students are people who have genuine concerns, we can relate to them in a more genuine, human way. Thank you for this reminder of that.
ReplyDeleteLara
Well I have to say that this is a wonderful piece of poetry! As I told you, I wish that I could write poetry like this. You certainly give us something to think about. Why not why? Sometimes I think we owe an explanation to our students and should not feel like it is a power play. Your poem made me reflect on my time in the Air Force when we were told that we should follow orders, but not blindly. It is okay to ask why, but for students it may simply be a question of clarity and understanding. Thank you for this!
ReplyDeleteChris
Dear Lara:
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this genre. I loved the way you used the poem to see a problem and then redirect it to reflect. This is the art of a good teacher. You always need to examine and reflect.
Students should always ask why for this is how they learn. Thank you again for sharing this with me.
Pat Strelow