Sticks and Stones

One of the first things that you learn as a high school teacher is not to let anything a student says to you both you. It is very important to have good self esteem because most teenagers (at least at my school) lack a filter. Some of the things that I have had students tell me - very nonchalantly - "Mrs. T - do you even brush your hair" (this was on a day that I did not straighten my hair - it is naturally thick and curly) "Mrs. T you don't have any makeup on do you? Why not? - you look dead". "Mrs T you look like a secretary today." Now none of this is every said to be mean or malicious - for the most part I have a really good relationship with my students. Some of them even think they are helping when they offer me advice on how to wear my hair or tell me to use the hair product that they use that gives their hair that beautiful shine (translation greasiness) and for everything rude thing said I get about 10 compliments. Today, during a review for our final, one of my seniors asked me "Mrs. T, did you go to a party last night? Your eyes look like you went to a party" All of these comments simply add amusement to my day! Thankfully, my sense of self does not coming merely from who I am but from WHOSE I am.