Do You Remember?
Do you remember your first period? I remember when I had my first period. I was twelve, actually closer to thirteen. It was in September, my birthday is in October. I wasn't feeling well at my grandmother's funeral, and when we got home, I notified my mother that something was different. I knew what to do because she we discussed the inevitable frequently. I got sick, I mean real sick. I was sick to the point that everything on my body ached especially my lower abdomen and back. I had diarrhea where I ran to the bathroom frequently, headaches, hot and cold flashes, and most of all I vomited to the point where it was just bile coming up. Not to mention a week/two weeks before I started my period, I would experience PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). My mood swings were/are sometimes dangerous. I remember dreading my period coming up because of how it made me feel; still to this day I usually have the same feeling. My period warranted me the option of staying home from school ...
Although the teacher was wrong, two things do pop in my head after reading the story... Would this be an issue if the words had come from a black teacher? Would he have been just "keeping it real" or "trying to save our kids with tough love?" And the second thing that comes to my mind... Working within the school system, I know first hand how frustrating it can be to teach some of these kids, especially at an urban school. It's just not the kids fault though... Many of the public schools in urban areas lack funding, books, and teachers. Therefore you have over crowded classes. You also have kids with a host of learning disabilities and mental issues which are not being properly cared for. Parents are also lacking in what they're suppose to do... I can go on and on. I am sure that those students are not as innocent as it seems. BUT the teacher handled it the wrong way, and the kids behavior probably brought out some underline hate that the teacher was already harvesting. After you see students cuss out teachers as well as try to fight them, you realize that the system as failed as a whole from parents to the school board.
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