Retaining Sanity

"Faggot" is among many words students in my classroom are not permitted to use. Variations such as "faggy," "fagbag," and "fruit" are similarly banned. Further, I do not allow my students to say things such as "That is so gay. " Though originally a difficult rule to implement, students are now better at monitoring what comes out of their mouths. But why? Why aren't my students allowed to use these words? This "why" question is what we frequently neglect to explain to students. We tell them that they shouldn't say things. We lay out the consequences for saying those things (apologies, letters explaining that what they said is wrong, push-ups, etc.). We tell them how they should speak and what they should say.  But more often than not, we forget to tell them why they shouldn't say them. And when I say we forget to tell them why, I mean that "because it's wrong" isn't sufficient. "B...

Looking for Alaska  is a staple novel in many high school curriculums. According to a recent article published by The Guardian , a high school in Kentucky has joined the list of schools attempting to ban John Green's Looking for Alaska.  As in similar cases of attempted curriculum censorship, a parent wrote the school stating that the novel encourages students " to experiment with pornography, sex, drugs, alcohol and profanity." See articles detailing similar cases in New Jersey , Tennessee , and  Alabama . I could say what many high school teachers have said: this is ridiculous. To assume that teenagers know nothing about sex, drugs, alcohol, and profanity is ridiculous. To claim that a novel which accurately examines the teenage mind while simultaneously delving into the complexities of grief and loss will preach unhealthy behaviors is ridiculous. To state that teenagers are so mindless and impressionable that they would blindly follow in the footsteps of the p...