If You Know Someone Who’s a Teacher… They Are Probably Hurting Right Now

So here’s the first thing we can all do:

These are pieces of previously published words- collected and combined and lengthened in full, for a fully archived memory piece that hopefully is still worth its weight in saving!

xo

I’ve been voice off in my lifetime and discovered so many freedoms from it.

(I miss it).

I’ve been vocal in my lifetime and felt the havers and hinderances of that.

I am not the touchstone for all Deaf things - even though I used to feel stretched and shrunken for not easily fitting into either world, given that I’ve been raised within another…

But in the instance that teens are without any Deaf touchstone at that time and need one to pass a class? I’m all in.

“I would love to keep helping however I can,” I said to a staff that’s so caring, they actually said, “We care about who’s best for the kids, first and foremost” (in a world that oft cares most about paper and pretentioun, not the dweebs who can’t believe they’ve watched another oyster casing crush to the side). “But there are Deaf teachers who’ve trained their l entire lives with the soul focus of teaching this exact level. And I can never take a job from someone in my culture when I’m just stoked to be infusing sign into as much education as I can, in general”.

(It made sense to me?)

But that’s not my point. I think my point is that… we can have 99% petal-soft success stories to hold in our hand, and we (I) will still lay awake at night worrying about the 1.

A quote we read recently in class came from Dr. John (Stan) Schuchman, who describes growing up in his Deaf family as follows:

“My parents were deaf. My parents had many deaf friends. They had an active schedule. We went to deaf clubs. We went to deaf people’s homes. It was a natural community for me as a kid growing up. It was like a kid who grew up in an immigrant family where many of the friends spoke a different language . . .”

One day, I asked if the kids would see a benefit in Deaf and hearing culture separating again. It’s obvious that division is never good… but would there be any benefits? ARE we furthering ASL and Deaf culture as it’s own unique American-made, home grown crop, along with the languages and legacies we typically associate with the US- or are we holding each other back?

We certainly don’t learn from our past, that’s for sure. Sometimes it feels like we could make a million songs about all the things associated with peace and not with war… and the first person to hum it’s tune absentmindedly while going about their day is the person striking the match for the cannon.

The following day, I posited a new question for the students:

“What is one way we would help Deaf culture be seen and treated as equal to hearing culture?”

You never know: no matter how simple, innocuous and invisible a piece of pollen might be, it’s often one yellow-and-black ride away from becoming something in bloom.

Conversations are how we observe and absorb a lot we need to know about cultures that might not be our own…

And these days, that can practically feel like a vigilante act.

▪️▪️▪️▪️

I am finding pieces of myself breaking off in both good and bad ways by teaching students right now.

I have watched young humans who are “failing” in every other grade by every other standard… Crack open like a pearl worn hard by freshwater and appearance of oyster.

I have watched young humans write papers on audism and recite the bullets on ableism like callous casings, connected shells upon the floor- yet show such disregard for every point in action… and for others… that apathy feels like violence.

All of these young humans are equally valuable. Equally capable. Equally compassionate in so many more ways than one- but no amount of sun seems to make enough difference some days.

I am not meant to do this work forever and make no bones about that. I can’t predict the future… let alone how my bones will be. (A pun?)

I AM meant to teach forever, I hope and believe, in some capacity, as the water of well is full with artistic reasons, yet drained to droplets from Socratic alienation. And that’s okay. Because every time we teach, no matter how or why- I have to believe it matters, no matter why or how.

We are all out there trying to do all we can… but the trauma, trials and terrors of so many generations right now is SO much harder for our teens to hold than a whole sh*t of us can see or sit with. We think we know… but the amount of empathy that’s needed to heal the future is not even inches away… It’s oceans.

If you know someone who’s a teacher… they are probably hurting right now.

If you know someone who’s a student… they are probably hurting right now.

If you know someone who’s Deaf in America…

They are definitely hurting right now.

So here’s the first thing we can all do:

Ask if they’re okay.

▪️This is about diving deeper into community, culture and curiosity, while listening and learning (not attacking anyone for trying any of the above please!), so… Subjective thoughts? Is food a critical part of a culture for you, or is language the guiding light?

Thank you for staying here… for catching your breath for a moment through the somewhat-dying-art of writing (and reading anything longer than a 2 sentence caption)… And for caring about the freelance weirdos of the world who sometimes need to survive, but who’s bodies sadly can’t yet fit into the 9 to 5.

xo

PS: Kindly consider booming a supportive Word Nerd if you’re able (every little bit counts and helps keep this ongoing memoir going, or… Share with you someone you like?