What I Wish I Could’ve Said
To the Black mom protecting her son I understand why you fear for your teen son I’m a mother of sons too, and while mine are grown men now, I vividly recall the stomach-dropping anxiety of their adolescent years. But I’m…
Tag middle school
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To the School Bully’s Mom:
Here’s what I wish I could say. Your son arrived for the first week of school, wearing sharp new clothes and spotless sneakers, looking at least two inches taller than he’d been in June. As I do with all the…
Follow the Leader?
The middle school counselor and I sit in chairs, our postures consciously constructed to appear non-threatening. It’s no small thing for an eighth-grade girl to face down two adults, even this eighth-grade girl, who sits upright and alert, the ingratiating…
This Is a Civil Emergency
If you’ve paid even the most casual attention to the news this week, you’re aware that the tension in the US is reaching a pitch. With the federal government hamstrung by the longest shutdown in its history, investigative reports revealing…
Judge Not
toloveandlearn.com When I mention to acquaintances that I work at a middle school handling student behavior and discipline, I usually hear some version of three responses: “Wow, that’s gotta be challenging.” “Really? That’s such a tough age. Do you, um,…