Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
I mentioned this on twitter earlier, but I have a little more to say about it, so here are some ramblings from my classroom...
It's been a while, but I had another 'That's so gay' come out in class today, but I think I found a really good way to address it at last. When I asked the student what they really meant, the student said, 'I think that's really stupid and I don't like it.'
I replied with, 'It's fine for you to think that, just remember when you speak to say what you really mean or what you say gets confusing.'
I wasn't happy about what the student was calling stupid, but when looking at the situation, the biggest problem was the incorrect use of the word gay. We teach kids how to use words and correct them when they use them incorrectly, why not loaded language. I don't want 'gay' to take on taboo or swear status in my classroom, because it isn't actually a taboo word in society.
I'm also not out to eliminate the expression of negative feelings. We all feel negatively about things sometimes, and expressing that negativity does help us to feel better. Who doesn't complain about an annoying friend or a bothersome family member. Complaining is natural. How we communicate the complaint is the important thing.
As a teacher, I'm trying to teach my students to use language to it's best effect in a more formal setting than at home. I can't control how language is used at their home, but I can show them that there is a difference in the way you might talk to your parents at home than the way you would talk to someone at a store, or the principal of the school or a stranger you've just met. We wear different patterns of speach as much as we wear different outfits. Ultimately, if their parents are fine with letting them use profanities and hate speach at home, that's their decision, but it's important for them to know that a)there are situations when that isn't appropriate and b)there are other ways of communicating ideas.
So my students can call something stupid or dumb, and I'm fine with that, if they can explain *why* it is stupid or dumb. I'm even good with them calling something gay, but only if they can tell me why they think that and if the word their using really means what they think it means. I don't expect to eliminate gay as a derogitory word, but I do hope my students think about the words their choosing a little more. They may only be 7, but they aren't stupid. They can explain the difference between cute and beautiful. They can explain the difference between mean and angry. I don't think it's too much to expect them to know the difference between gay and stupid. Then if they choose to use gay in a derogatory way, at least I know they acutally mean what they're saying.
Advocating clarity of speech and mutual understanding is more than just polite, it's useful!
It's been a while, but I had another 'That's so gay' come out in class today, but I think I found a really good way to address it at last. When I asked the student what they really meant, the student said, 'I think that's really stupid and I don't like it.'
I replied with, 'It's fine for you to think that, just remember when you speak to say what you really mean or what you say gets confusing.'
I wasn't happy about what the student was calling stupid, but when looking at the situation, the biggest problem was the incorrect use of the word gay. We teach kids how to use words and correct them when they use them incorrectly, why not loaded language. I don't want 'gay' to take on taboo or swear status in my classroom, because it isn't actually a taboo word in society.
I'm also not out to eliminate the expression of negative feelings. We all feel negatively about things sometimes, and expressing that negativity does help us to feel better. Who doesn't complain about an annoying friend or a bothersome family member. Complaining is natural. How we communicate the complaint is the important thing.
As a teacher, I'm trying to teach my students to use language to it's best effect in a more formal setting than at home. I can't control how language is used at their home, but I can show them that there is a difference in the way you might talk to your parents at home than the way you would talk to someone at a store, or the principal of the school or a stranger you've just met. We wear different patterns of speach as much as we wear different outfits. Ultimately, if their parents are fine with letting them use profanities and hate speach at home, that's their decision, but it's important for them to know that a)there are situations when that isn't appropriate and b)there are other ways of communicating ideas.
So my students can call something stupid or dumb, and I'm fine with that, if they can explain *why* it is stupid or dumb. I'm even good with them calling something gay, but only if they can tell me why they think that and if the word their using really means what they think it means. I don't expect to eliminate gay as a derogitory word, but I do hope my students think about the words their choosing a little more. They may only be 7, but they aren't stupid. They can explain the difference between cute and beautiful. They can explain the difference between mean and angry. I don't think it's too much to expect them to know the difference between gay and stupid. Then if they choose to use gay in a derogatory way, at least I know they acutally mean what they're saying.
Advocating clarity of speech and mutual understanding is more than just polite, it's useful!