Words can hurt...

I am going outside of the box on this Media Deconstruction and it is only because of something that I stumbled upon today.  I like most teachers wake up on Friday mornings excited that it is the end of the week and also give myself a little praise for making it through.  But also like many teachers when that end of the week bell rings I am flooded with thoughts, emotions and wondering if I am doing enough.  Am I teaching enough, am I kind enough, am I doing enough, am I really what the admin wanted when hiring for this position or was I just convenient? I find myself walking away with tears in my eyes.    

I came upon this quote while scanning through Pinterest this weekend and it has really hit home.  Something very similar to this is what I tell my students on a daily basis to make them see that even though times are hard or we make mistakes that it will only make us stronger, but like most people I don’t usually take my own advice.  Today I scrolled through the "teacher side" of TikTok and was flooded with videos of anger and sadness because of something a celebrity said.  Meghan Trainor was on a podcast and in the midst of the discussion she made a disrespectful comment about teachers, one that upset the "teacher side" of TikTok. Honestly in the moment that I heard what she said, my heart sank as she is one of my favorite artists that my daughters and I listen to on our way to school.  She like many other people in this world do not understand what teachers go through on a daily basis.  We not only teach our students, but we care for them deeply.  

What is made public or kept private within this message?

Seeing as how this was a video podcast that was put on a social media platform the message is viewable by many people all over the world.  I did not listen to the podcast in its entirety, but the part that I listened to had to do with making the choice to homeschool your child because of the worry parents face sending their children to school.  It them turned in to a discussion on all of the things that happen in a school setting such as bullying, lack of social emotional support and environment also lead to parents deciding to homeschool their children.  This is where the comment was made of "f*** teachers" came in to play.

Who is potentially harmed by this message?

This is a two-fold question, not only were most teachers around the world hurt by what was said, but Meghan Trainor in turn hurt herself, her career and her fan following.  I understand having feelings and in the heat of the moment letting them out, but what happens when the camera shuts off, your mood shifts and your words are forever engraved in media!