If I walked

If I Walked

If I walked in the shoes of one of my students
I would have to

try to exist between at least three different worlds
create a meaning from and through confusion
filter through disjointed and unconnected meanings
face the unknown in every minute
risk self
hold firmly onto myself
organize towards goals I don't have context to understand
wait for a me
be tense and uncomfortable
steal away and dance my own dance
hope for a teacher to unlock the beauty
navigate between my father mother grandparent auntie uncle and my school
look down and assume a posture of submissiveness
read bits of phonics that sound like counting in japanese
hurl towards standards like a launched nuclear rocket
accept a system run by adults lacking the ability to give me context
rather than be the mission statement read one that says I am a "test"
sometimes go hungry
sometimes go alone
sometimes be embarassed by who I am
often regret who I am not

If I had to walk in the shoes of my children I would become a better person.
I would understand the way of children looking to us as teachers to make a better and fairer , more caring world.

Can I walk in the shoes of my children as I work each day to teach them.....
To be my children , to be in this position in our world,
is to be the ultimate reflection on what our world values.
These, our children, are our mirror holding firmly up to us who we really are.

For them, let's be something with head and heart, soul and concern, and let's place doing ahead of testing...let's create meaning again.