MR. CARR
ROOM 628
MY NAME IS JOHN CARR,
I WAS A 6TH GRADE CIVICS TEACHER
AT OSCAR SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
EVEN THOUGH I TECHNICALLY TAUGHT CIVICS
MY STUDENTS LEARNED MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR,
I TOLD NEW STUDENTS 3 THINGS THEY CAN EXPECT FROM MY CLASS
1. YOU WILL LEARN YOUR RIGHTS.
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, PEOPLE WILL TAKE THEM FROM YOU.
2. YOU WILL GROW IN KINDNESS AND RESPECT.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT KINDNESS AND RESPECT LOOK LIKE, YOU CAN LOOK TO ME, I WILL MODEL IT FOR YOU (REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU TREAT ME)
3. YOU WILL BE EMPOWERED
YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE. DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE THAT YOU ARE A PRODUCT OF YOUR SITUATION OR POWERLESS TO CHANGE IT. (PEOPLE WITH NO HOPE ARE EASY TO CONTROL.) YOU HAVE POWER AND AGENCY; WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPACT THE WORLD AROUND YOU.
AND SOMETIMES I’LL SET UP PING PONG IN AN EMPTY CLASSROOM
AS A REWARD FOR BEING HONEST OR FUNNY OR A GOOD FRIEND
OR WHEN YOU PUT IN THE EFFORT AND REALLY TRY.
I WAS A CIVICS TEACHER
AND
I WAS GOOD AT IT.
NOT LIKE LESSON PLANS AND BULLETIN BOARDS OR WHATEVER.
I AM REAL BAD AT THAT STUFF.
AND DEFINITELY NOT BECAUSE STUDENTS LOVE LEARNING ABOUT AMERICA’S FOUNDING DOCUMENTS OR THE LAW MAKING PROCESS OR THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OR POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES…
I WAS GOOD AT IT.
BECAUSE
I KNOW THAT KIDS WON’T CARE TO KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW I CARE.
AND 12-YEAR-OLD KIDS FROM
SOUTH NORFOLK
KNEW THAT I CARED MORE
THAN JUST ABOUT ANYONE:
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I HAD SECRET HANDSHAKES WITH HALF THE GUYS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
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I SAID WHAT’S UP TO EVERY ONE OF MY STUDENTS
BY NAME
OR THE NICKNAME I’D GIVEN THEM.
⌁
IF YOU ASKED MY STUDENTS ABOUT HOMEWORK IN MR. CARR’S CLASS, THEY’LL TELL YOU THERE WASN’T ANY AS LONG AS “WE GET DONE WHAT WE GOTTA GET DONE”
EXCEPT WHEN THE WEATHER WAS GOING TO BE NICE… THEN HOMEWORK LOOKED MORE LIKE THIS:
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I GOT IN TROUBLE WITH ADMIN
FOR PULLING STUDENTS
OUT OF ISS.
I NEEDED THEM IN CLASS TO LEARN.
⌁
I PLAYED MUSIC. A LOT OF MUSIC. BEFORE AND AFTER CLASS. EVERY DAY. BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH MUSIC MATTERS TO STUDENTS, I’M THE SAME WAY. PLUS, I GOT TO EXPOSE THEM TO REAL HIP-HOP SO THEY KNOW THEIR ROOTS.
I MAY OR MAY NOT, BUT DEFINITELY HAVE,
BAILED ON CIVICS FOR A WEEK TO TEACH HISTORY OF HIP-HOP
⌁
⌁
I REWARDED STUDENTS FOR MAKING ME LAUGH OUT LOUD.
I CANNOT DESCRIBE THE JOY I FELT WHEN LAUGHTER BREAKS OUT DURING A CLASS DISCUSSION. IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A TEACHER.
AND SPEAKING OF WHICH:
FRENCH FRY — YOU SHOULD KNOW
“TRUST FALL!”
STILL KILLS ME
&
BELL 3, Y’ALL SHOULD KNOW THAT:
“AYE!
BIG CAMEL
BIG CAMEL
BIG CAMEL”
IS THE FUNNIEST CIVICS JOKE I’VE EVER HEARD.
⌁
I’VE CALLED FOR SECURITY MAYBE
3 TIMES IN 7 YEARS.
BUT WHEN THERE WAS A FIGHT ON THE HALL, I’D BE THE FIRST ONE THERE TO BREAK IT UP.
I KNEW IF I GOT THERE IN TIME, I’D BE ABLE TO GRAB ONE OF THEM AND SAY "COME ON, WALK WITH ME."
THEY TRUSTED ME
AND KNEW MY VOICE
SO MOST OF THE TIME THEY’D STOP
AND WALK DOWN THE HALL WITH ME TO COOL OFF
(EVEN WHEN THEY WERE STILL SWINGING)
⌁
⌁
I NEVER MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO DAP A KID UP AND TELL HIM HIS J’S ARE SICK.
⌁
I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
BOX BRAIDS
AND GODDESS BRAIDS
AND WHETHER THEY ARE
KNOTLESS OR STITCHED OR SEWN.
⌁
IF A STUDENT LOST IT AND STORMED OUT OF ANOTHER CLASS,
THEY’D USUALLY HEAD TO MY ROOM. THEY KNEW THERE WAS A SPACE FOR THEM IN THE BACK.
IT WAS ALMOST ALWAYS ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY BUT NO ONE NOTICED
THE BUS DIDN’T SHOW UP THAT MORNING AND THEY HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL WITHOUT A WINTER COAT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY’D COME FIND ME BECAUSE
I ALWAYS NOTICED.
⌁
WHEN I WAS RUNNING LATE AND KIDS WERE OUTSIDE WAITING FOR THE BELL TO RING, I GOT STRAIGHT MOBBED BY
MY STUDENTS
AND FORMER STUDENTS
AND STUDENTS I’VE NEVER EVEN TAUGHT.
SOMETIMES I’D YELL "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!" AND TAKE OFF LIKE A RUNNING BACK TO GET TO THE FRONT DOORS.
I THINK I’M FUNNY ANYWAYS…
⌁
IF KIDS WERE HAVING A ROUGH MORNING AND I CAUGHT THEM, I SAY
“GO GET ANOTHER BREAKFAST,
NOW.
‘MATTER FACT, GET ME ONE TOO”
THEY KNEW BOTH WERE FOR THEM.
⌁
IF YOU ASK MY STUDENTS WHY I NEVER TOOK OFF OF WORK, THEY’LL TELL YOU IT’S BECAUSE I DON’T TRUST ANYONE ELSE TO TEACH THEM.
THAT’S TRUE FR.
