Don't call kids stupid!

In my history class today, the teacher called us all stupid. Well, actually, he told us all that we make stupid mistakes and if we want to do better in the class then we need to stop making such stupid mistakes. I, along with many others in the class took that to mean he was calling us stupid. Naturally I, and many others in class, were (and still are) extremely angry about this, because what teacher calls their class stupid?! Who says that?

I had a conversation with a friend today, after class. This friend is in my class, so he heard what the teacher said, and took the teacher's words the same way I did.

Me: Who does that?! What kind of a teacher does that??? You can't do that! A teacher can't call their kids stupid!

Friend: Well, you can't call kids stupid, just because they'll cry for the rest of the day if you do.

Me: Kids aren't stupid!

Friend: You just can't call them that.

Me: No, kids are so smart! SO smart.

Friend: Well not kids with disabilities.

Me: No!! They're so smart too. Kids are so freaking smart it's not even funny! It's incredible, the way they learn. People think kids are stupid because they don't know things, but how are you supposed to know things you haven't learned yet? Don't even. You can not call a kid stupid.

I'm an Early Childhood Education major. I'm going to be a kindergarten teacher someday. I love kids; my neighbor's kids are my world when I'm at home. They're so smart, it's incredible. The way the learn. Their willingness to learn. Their innate desire to know more than they do. They're so cool. I wish more older kids looked at learning, and life in general, the way that younger kids do. People calling kids "stupid"... that's one thing I feel so strongly about.

And this, the conversation about kids being "stupid" got me to thinking about a post on Love That Max about people who use the word "retard" or "retarded", the r-word. I'll be completely honest - I used to use the word. Back in middle school, who didn't use it? When I would make a mistake, "Ughhh I'm such a freaking retard sometimes!". When my friends did something dumb, "haha you're so retarded!" Stuff like that. And looking back, I'm not proud of that. But I was a middle school-er. I'm older now, and wiser, and I don't use that word any more. There's other words to use.

When my friend said that kids with disabilities aren't smart, I have to admit that I wasn't shocked. In the world we live in, that's unfortunately what people believe because they don't know better. But it still, even though I wasn't shocked, there was a part of me that was surprised. And that is because I've been reading Love That Max since MSN did a story on this post from last year. But anyway. People use the r-word without even thinking, and that needs to change. The way people use that word, it spreads the idea that people like Max are stupid or pathetic or so many other things that just aren't true! Words are so powerful, and with such a powerful weapon, more people need to think before they use it.

Max is an INCREDIBLE kid.

He's smart.

He's determined.

He's overcome so much.

He's funny.

He's talented.

He's inspiring.

He's so freaking adorable.

And so much more.

He's just like any other 9 year old kid. Max isn't just a kid with a disability. That's one part of who he is, it doesn't define him as a person.

Back when I was at a community college, I had a teacher who didn't believe in the word "disabled." Instead, she believed in "differently-abled," and that's what I agree with. Something I've thought for a long time now, (since about the time I started coming out to some of my friends), is that no one aspect of someone defines their entirety as a person. People are made of so many different things that you should never judge anyone just based on one thing about them. Just because a kid has special powers doesn't mean that they're not smart. It doesn't mean they can't learn. Just because a kid doesn't know something doesn't mean that they're not smart. People underestimate kids, all kids, so much. And that's something I can't stand. Why can't other people see how smart kids are?

I read a post of LTM a while ago about a book called "My Brother Charlie". I have to do a presentation about a bibliotherapy book in my Children's Lit course later this semester (in a couple weeks), and that's the book I chose to read and present to the class. I ordered it from amazon, and it came in the mail yesterday. I read it and loved it. A couple other people on my floor have also read it and also really liked it, and it's message! It's a book that I'll definitely have in my classroom one day, when I'm a teacher.

Love That Max has really opened my eyes to a lot in the world. I don't know if you read about everything earlier this year about the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania denying a two-years-old little girl a transplant because of her cognitive delays, but honestly, it's because of LTM that I was as angry as I was. It was because of reading LTM that I cared as much as I did. And I'm thankful to Ellen (Max's mom, blog author of Love That Max) for that. Reading LTM has also made me think about possibly wanting to teach at a school for kids with disabilities. I don't know for sure yet, but it is something I'm thinking about. I think I want to teach at a "normal" school for a few years first, and then maybe that would be something to look in to. (Normal is in quotes because I hate that word. Nothing is "normal". Everyone has their own "normal" and it's not the same as anyone else's "normal.")

When I'm a teacher, I won't ever call my kids stupid. I won't ever look down on them for not knowing things yet; it'll be my job to teach them. I'll read them books like "My Brother Charlie" and others (I don't know what others, but I'll find some!), so that they can see that even though some kids are differently-abled, that even though some kids have special powers, that they're all still the same. I'll foster love and acceptance in their hearts. My kids, my students, will learn more than just their ABC's and 123's and other "school stuff" in my class. They'll learn life skills. They'll learn acceptance. They'll learn that even though we're all different, we're all basically the same too. They'll learn they we all need respect and love, no matter what. I'll teach them not to judge or assume, and to ask questions when they want to know things. So many teachers don't let kids ask questions, but when you do that, you discourage learning. You squash their want, their need, to know, and you can't do that. You shoudn't do that.

I hope I'm going to be a good teacher. I hope I can teach my kids to love and accept each other (and themselves!) just they way they are. I hope the lessons they'll learn about accepting everyone for who they are, about knowing to ask questions about things they're curious about, about knowing we're all different and being ok with that, will stick with them throughout their lives. Maybe I dream big like that because I'm still young (20 years old!). Maybe I think big because I'm not a teacher yet. I don't know. But I think that I'll still think this way even when I'm in the classroom. It's just who I am.