Teacher Posts Note On His Door To Make ALL Of His Students Feel Safe
Teacher’s inclusive classroom door note to his students goes viral
In the maelstrom of hatred swirling around us in the week since Donald Trump was elected president, we’ve seen the absolute worst America has to offer. From stories of racial slurs lobbed at total strangers to swastikas painted on houses, it’s been a very dark several days in Trump’s America. It’s for that reason that this note hanging on a teacher’s door is giving hope to so many.
Twitter user Micah Sifry posted a photo of a note on the door of a high school classroom where his friend is a teacher. That friend was moved to reassure his students in the wake of the election that they would always have a safe place in his classroom. It’s since been retweeted over 2,000 times.
It reads:
I love my Muslim students. I love my black students. I love my Hispanic students. I love my gay students. I love my disabled students. I love my poor students. I love all of my students and I will fight for you, no matter what.
And if he, or anyone else builds that wall, or any wall between us,
I will teach my students how to tear it down.
With many adults afraid of the implications of Trump’s presidency and the way it’s emboldened those already inclined toward hateful and racist behavior, it’s easy to imagine how scared kids and teens might feel. Some are worried their families will be deported or made to register and be under constant suspicion. This teacher sought to soothe their very real fears in the best way he knew how: by making them feel loved and included.
My kids aren’t part of any of the groups targeted by Trump’s campaign and his supporters, but I still want to know that they have teachers who feel this way. Any child going to school should do so knowing their teachers have their backs, no matter what. That the classroom is a place to learn and feel nurtured and protected. After this election, some kids might be wary of their teachers and administrators if they don’t know where they stand. A child with concerns of deportation and discrimination must feel infinitely better in a classroom where it’s made abundantly clear the moment they walk in the door that they’re loved and accepted.
As Trump appoints actual white supremacists to his cabinet, things will only get worse and more terrifying for everyone. Did anyone ever envision living in an America where a teacher felt compelled to post a note like this on their classroom door? In 2016? It’s sickening and we can only hope that somehow, our country will be able to come together and defeat the feelings of hatred and malice that serve to further divide us.
In the long-term, the ones that will lose out most are our children, who will live in whatever America we create now a lot longer than we will. It’s with them in mind that we should all stand strong against the hatred and cruelty stemming from this election result.
H/T Mashable
