Time on my hands.

It's one of those rare times when I am not pressed with work. I've actually got a period to kill. My day started shortly after 7am with a meeting that ended when school started. I've got a student to observe 2nd period and another meeting 3rd, but for now -- nothing. I've already done the file review on the student I needed. So, here I am.

I'm in the teachers' lounge at Creston and there are lots of windows onto this very gray day. Kind of depressing. Then a principal just came in and said he'd put a black girl into ISS today. The boy in the locker below hers bumped her, so she lambasted him with the door to hers. We had just talked about her in the early meeting and teachers had been positive about her good heart. They also talked about her strength in standing up for herself and the kind of environment she had come from. They felt it was a positive that she is still willing to stick up for herself.

Oh, BTW, I've had three important questions/conversations as I sat here. So, just being present can be helpful.

This whole situation caused me think of what it would be like to be one of a very few minority kids in a school. How would you not be paranoid? How would you know how to take the minor lumps and bumps in the hall, locker room and lunch room? You'd either have to assume that everything was accidental or everything was purposeful. You'd never want to be made a fool of. You'd feel everyone's eyes on you much of the time and just never feel like you blended in. There'd be no protective coloring for you. And it would be exactly at the time in your life that peer groups would be of extreme importance. Aaargh. I just can't imagine. I've had the experience of being the only caucasian in a setting, but even that doesn't compare.

On the other hand, I am so glad to have people of color in Creston. When I moved here, it was the land of white bread. :) When I observed in a class last week, there were 3 students of color in the room. That's so much better than just having white bread, for the white kids anyway.