To the people

In our feedback session today after my vice principal observed my class, he had two comments: that I was a dynamic teacher and that teachers never erase the blackboard by themselves.

As I looked at the chalk-stained palm of my hand, I kept my thoughts to myself. I’ve experienced the Beninese tendency to focus on the negative several times already here and knew not to take it personally. But I couldn’t really take it seriously that the respect my students hold for me was going to be questioned because I didn’t ask the student who is the designated chalkboard-eraser to do it.

When people are offered positions of power, how little power is that they actually hold, I’ve noticed that they like to flex that power in every opportunity. Over students. Over secretaries. Over women. (There is a section about children’s rights in the 3eme document that teachers teach their students right before making them go fetch the teacher’s lunch.) 

It’s not just at school. It’s older siblings over younger siblings. It’s craftsmen over apprentices. It’s women over children. I know that, as a teacher, I have the power to make students do a lot of things just because I can. But, I just don’t feel the need.

I wasn’t trying to take on the power structure that is the middle school system. I honestly just care if I wiped off the board myself.