We Were Not Allowed to Say it...

Shhhh – Morganton Humanist Alliance

6th grade, remember your experience? Do you remember your teachers, or just one in particular?

I do. I have an uncanny memory for all of my teachers, first and last names, the when, the where, and most of all, how they made me feel.

My sixth grade year at Basalt Middle School wasn't out of the ordinary for the first half. I was learning to wrestle, figuring out some of the dynamics of family and school life, learning who my friends were...and weren't.

Mrs. Palmer was my teacher. She remains a fixture in my life. In fact, she attended our thirty year high school reunion. As is the case with every teacher, she had her sayings and things she would do that are memorable.

Shutting the lights off if class got too rowdy meant we would all retreat to our desks, heads down, and wait for her gentle voice to guide us back to reality.
Firmly calling out, "Cool your jets!"
The non-negotiable of all rules, we were never allowed to utter the words, "Shut up". Ever.

There wasn't an explanation, rationale, or even an articulated consequence for this verbal error. It just was. The rule of rules. Ironclad. Firm. And those who tested it, well, between you and me, I have no idea what happened to them.

I like the rule. I have adopted it in my life, and while most will tell you - and I readily admit - that my vocabulary contains a host of interesting vernacular, it is absent shut up.

To utter these words is to lose control. It also indicates that whomever is vomiting up this surrender has run out of vocabulary and volleys forth the very last of ammunition because nothing is left. To say shut up means that the conversation has become personal, not rational.

In short, to shout or whisper shut up is a character flaw. It shows great weakness. It shows limited intellect. It is petty.

Onward!

Dr. J

Comments

1.5 Reasons to Take a Different Path - The Hippy-Cow Way

The Hippy-Cow Way I remember early in my career asking a question something like, "Why don't we try [insert idea here]?" And the quick reply, "Because this is the way we've always done it." Wow. 2020 is teaching us that the way we've always done things..does not work. Yeah. The age-old rut that can trap us all. Frustrating isn't it? As a child growing up in the Aspen Valley, I remember traveling many miles along Highway 82. Glenwood to Carbondale, then to Basalt, and on to Aspen. Two lanes most of the way, it was and is the main route connecting all of these Rocky Mountain towns. The drive can be breath-taking in the Fall. And most take this route because, well, it's the route we always take. It's familiar. Safe. Known. Well traveled. You get the idea. There are other ways to get where you're going. Roads less traveled that hold great sites and great reward. One of my favorites is the Hippy-Cow Way. Known only to our fam...

Prayer for an Educator

It's rare to sit in the staff lounge for the 30 minute lunch break we get and be able to reflect on one's career. Today was one such day...causing a flood of memories. I offer this prayer for educators May you have protection when you do the home visit on the little girl who's father beat her with a 2x4 for getting a C. May you have wisdom when consoling the teacher who gave her the C. Go with courage to sit next to the little girl who all alone weeps at the lunch table because she has lice. Teach her mother with tenderness. Be vigilant when the little boy describes the cigarette burn on his eye given him by his mother because he complained he was hungry. Hold fast at the 9 o'clock hour, still at school prepping for another day, while your own children go to sleep not having seen you all day. Have wisdom when all at home is falling down around you - and you know the children at school need you now more than ever. Be with joy when t...

Panicdemic Data - We Can Open Schools

10/13/2020 UPDATE The Great Barrington Declaration . You probably haven't seen it since Google and Reddit shadow banned/censored and salted it with climate denial subterfuge. Bing for the win, since they played it straight. This science driven, thoughtful petition - initiated by highly recognized Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford epidemiologists - signed by 7,000 medical scientists and 15,000 medical practitioners. Science is real, remember? Here's a key part: " Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is availab...

Principles of Principals

Search This Blog