And then there was Tuesday..

"No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power."

Teaching is the most frustrating, tiring thing I have ever done. But it is also the most rewarding, fulfilling thing I have ever done. Everyday I set my alarm for 5:15, and nearly everyday I wake up at about 5:13 and lay there anxiously anticipating the day to come. Somedays I get pretty deflated. For instance, we just finished The Hunger Games and, as I have said, I introduced a project on social justice. Honestly, there was a lot of complaining. In hindsight I may have overachieved a bit, actually I don't buy that. I think a lot of teachers don't push their students near hard enough and as a result students have no idea of their true potential. Either way, certain kids whined a lot and wanted to do a test or a poster (as I said, no idea of their true potential). This at first was disheartening, then it was annoying and finally it really pissed me off. I was really excited to instill a sense of social conscience in my students. To watch them latch on to a passion and run with it. But all they really wanted was easy.

But today, something changed. We started our social justice speeches. Hearing the kids talk about these issues, and how they conflict with who they are and what they believe in, and what they, personally, did (not could do, or will do, but did do) was really inspiring. One girl wrote the white house expressing her outrage with the IOM guidelines accepted by the HHS in Obama Care forcing religious groups to provide money fro abortions , contraceptives and morning after pills. Another student created a blog about Hunger in the local area. A boy from my afternoon classes made a T-shirt that read "ASK ME ABOUT CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT." On the back he had about 20 shocking statistics about the horrors done to children in parts Africa that force them to fight in rebellions and uprisings. Another girl had a bake sale to benefit children in third world countries born with a cleft lip or palate. One surgery costs $250. She raised $300.

Those are just some that stand out. Many students created websites, posted on facebook, tweeted or sent mass text messages spreading awareness about things like huner in somalia, genocide in Darfur, the inadequacies in the meat industry, bullying, gay rights, the food system and it's link to obesity and many other issues. Other students donated food to shelters, sent money via a website, hung poster in the class or made a petition. I made it clear from the start that this was not about how grandiose the action was, it was simply about acting. Seeing a problem and doing something. I'm sure a lot of student did the easiest thing they could, and that's fine. Other's I hope have found a passion that they will continue to harvest and make people aware of. Either way Tuesday was enough for me to be reignited. Kids are always going to want to take the easy way out, hell i think we all prefer the path of least resistance. However, I truely believe that by following what I believe to be right, teaching according to my personal pedagogy, that my students will learn. Maybe not the day I assign the project, maybe not the day they give their speech, but one day, I hope, they will learn. My mentor from Philly siad "Spencer, there are hundreds of kids out there who learned from me, and that feels amazing." Today I finally grasped a small part of that.