My word!
Name- calling and use of offensive words appear to be increasingly acceptable in our communities and in our entertainment venues. Offensive words have no place in schools. Yet how do we know what is offensive, especially across diversities of age, family values, and ethnicity? We can become immune to commonly used expletives, even when teachers hold themselves to a higher standard than the general public. The intent in questioning some words and sayings here is twofold: to make us aware of our sometimes automatic responses and to encourage attention to and reconsideration of words and phrases we may be using in schools. • Inflammatory words may be so commonly overused that they lose their shock effect: “loser,” “jerk,” “bully,” “predator,” “troublemaker,” “dumb,” “harasser,” “racist.” Nonetheless, name- calling is risky, hurtful, and confrontational. • Slogans and sayings that at one time were novel and clever can be overused and lose their potency. When phrases become too repetitive and too predictable, students can be repelled by them rather than attentive to them. One example was a junior high school principal who, during every school assembly, would step to the microphone and drone, “We’re waiting on you!” The too- predictable admonition was rarely, if ever, effective. Other examples could be “Crisscross applesauce” when we want students to sit cross- legged on the floor, “I’m the teacher, you’re the listener,” and “No pain, no gain.” • Offensive words can sometimes be defused by probing a bit about what a student or teacher means: “What does that word mean?” “Can you tell me why you’re using that word?” “That word produces a strong reaction in me.” It is natural and valuable to react to language. We can hardly prevent it. It is our primary and primal avenue for communication. Yet it is good for us as teachers to pay attention. It is smart to reflect on the meaning and the impacts of the words we say and hear. It is wise to be informed and purposeful with our vocabulary in schools.