In a few days it will be Friday again. I will go to the gym, as I do every weekday. Shortly after I arrive, my friend Don will come in. He will be wearing red. He will survey the rest of us, nodding cordial greetings to anyone else wearing red. When he comes to me, he will greet me politely, but with a slight air of disapproval. I do not wear red on Fridays.
The first time this happened, I didn’t know what to make of it. After a couple of weeks, I asked someone. “It’s to show support for our troops.” Don is retired military, and supporting our troops is important to him, as it should be to all of us. Being in the military is brave and dangerous work.
But I don’t think my wearing a red shirt to the gym gives any tangible support to our troops. It doesn’t send them food or birthday cards. Or supply them with gear. Or give them rest when they are weary. I don’t believe that one person in the military would benefit one bit from my wearing red on Friday. I don’t think they know whether I wear red or not. If I wore a red shirt to the gym, it wouldn’t be to support our troops. It would be to support Don.
So why have I decided to start wearing yellow on Fridays?
I’m going to do it to show my support for another group that does brave and dangerous work. Teachers.
Teachers are just as important to our national security as soldiers. Maybe more important. Every person in our military has had the help and support of dedicated and hard-working teachers. We all got that help and support, whether we are in the military or not.
But our teachers are under attack. They are being blamed for all the ills of our educational system. Their budgets are being cut. Their workloads are increasing. Their ability to do their jobs well is being stripped away. Many are losing their jobs entirely. And every single one of the attackers is the beneficiary of dedicated and hard-working teachers in their own lives.
One high school English teacher whom I know (quite well) had a wooden barstool near her desk where she would often sit to give her lectures. One day one of her students, displeased with being asked to pay attention, picked up that heavy barstool and threw it across the room, hurled a thick textbook against the wall, then glared at the teacher and snarled, “You’re goin’ down!” The teacher reported the behavior and sent the kid to the office for the standard disciplinary regimen. The next day, back in school as though nothing had happened, he smirked at this teacher as he passed her in the hallway. As I said, brave and dangerous work.
Our teachers need our support just as much as our troops do. Maybe more. It’s just my own opinion, of course, but, hey, it’s my blog. I can opine as I wish.
So I’m starting my own way of showing that support. I’m going to wear yellow on Fridays. I like yellow. It’s bright. Positive. Like sunshine. I think that’s a good metaphor for what teachers give us.
This Friday I will be wearing a yellow t-shirt to the gym. Nobody will probably notice, though Don will notice that, once again, I will not be wearing red.
Later that day I will be meeting with an elementary school librarian (a vanishing breed), and I will be wearing yellow. She probably won’t notice either. But if she asks, I’ll say, “It’s to remind me to thank you for what you do.”
Wearing yellow won’t do anything tangible for our teachers. It won’t reimburse them for the supplies they pay for out of their own pockets. It won’t give them back the evenings and weekends they spend grading papers at home. Teachers will not noticeably benefit. They won’t even know I’m doing it.
I don’t expect anyone else to join me in wearing yellow on Fridays. I won’t give anyone dirty looks for not following suit. This is for me. Every time I put on that yellow shirt, it will remind me (as if I need reminding) that teachers matter. And they have my support. Every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment