School affirmation that is bothering me on a gut level

[Terabith]

Our school district just adopted an affirmation for use in classrooms. I don’t know what that plan is for implementation, but my gut feeling is that it’s narcissistic, the part about reverencing elders is dangerous because of abuse situations, and that it is simply wrong. Everyone on earth who has existed before me did not exist for me.  At all.  And it’s not even spellchecked.  My kid is a high school senior who will roll her eyes and will not be damaged by this, but I wouldn’t want younger kids saying this every day. On the other hand, my gut also says that maybe my gut reaction is racist and that this is not something coming from my culture and maybe I need to check myself.  So I thought I’d bring it to the hive.  What do y’all think?  

[Shelydon]

Uh, no. 

[Terabith]

https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/07/05/roanoke-city-adopts-royalty-affirmation-youth-gun-violence-preventative-measure/

This article seems to indicate that about ten years ago, a teacher who had a close personal relationship with students used something like it, and the students found it meaningful, so clearly the logical response is not to learn that teachers having close relationships with students is beneficial, but instead to apply these words like a magic spell to the entire school system and maybe even city to magically.....prevent gun violence and drug use?  

I am so confused.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Terabith

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

It’s….a lot of words.

 

[Katy]

It’s creepy quasi- religious indoctrination to me and I’d make a stink about it. 

[Tree Frog]

How much of that would kids actually understand? 

[Ausmumof3]

Yuck

[Terabith]

3 minutes ago, Tree Frog said:

How much of that would kids actually understand? 

Well, I mean, I assume it's to be used with everyone from kindergarten (probably won't comprehend a lot of this) through high school (who totally will and my guess would be sarcastic about it).

 

[KidsHappen]

I don't like it. With all of the entitlement people are feeling these days, I think that the last thing they need to hear is that they are royalty. I also have a problem with the created and designed part. Seems like they are trying to sneak religion in the back door. If my children were in PS I would be having them opt out. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by KidsHappen

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Who is this intended for and what's the purpose? I'm befuddled.

I'm the sort to stick my hand up in a staff meeting and say 'ah, no, I'm not doing that'.  Or in the role of parent, I'd be saying 'ah, no, we're not doing that'.

 

[Tree Frog]

1 minute ago, Terabith said:

Well, I mean, I assume it's to be used with everyone from kindergarten (probably won't comprehend a lot of this) through high school (who totally will and my guess would be sarcastic about it).

 

I tend to think of elementary school kids because that's where I teach. I can't imagine kids saying something like that. It's terrible! I will have self affirmations in my behavior class this year, but those are completely different. Things like "I am kind" that help my kiddos remember they matter.  Not this mumbo jumbo educese that is over the top useless. 

[bookbard]

Aren't you in the US - where you literally fought a war because you didn't want 'royalty'? That is so weird. I hate these fads in education based on internet memes etc. Can't they have a fad of actually teaching?

[Spryte]

Ugh. Nope.

[Melissa Louise]

That's bullshit nonsense. 

 

[Faith-manor]

This would be a hard no, a HELL no, for me. It snacks of sneaking a lot of religious ideas into kids heads. One can have a general respect for authority without referencing it which to me means "never question us and put up with our abuse while you smile" a concept straight out of IBLP/Gothard and one of the tenets of Character First. C.F. Is a religious indoctrination program without bible verses and the mention of god that Bill G got a lot of public schools to buy from him. This whole thing dings my cult alarm bells.

[wintermom]

It does seems to be a mix of several cultures. and ultimately pretty meaningless while trying to sound meaningful. Respecting elders is an indigenous tradition and a deeply held part of there culture, but royalty is not. I'm not sure what culture "affirms" that each individual is royalty. Certainly not countries that actually have royalty. 

I'd try to find out what "adopting" this in a classroom actually means. If it's posted on the wall, that's one thing, but if it's woven into daily classroom behavior or conversation, how exactly will that happen. 

[ScoutTN]

Nope.

[Beth S]

The misspelled word jumped out at me.....

Edited July 29, 2023 by Beth S

[TexasProud]

No on many levels.

[Jaybee]

Nope.

[stephanier.1765]

A big, fat nopity nope from me too.

[EKS]

That is disgusting. 

[scholastica]

Agree with all the other posters. No. It’s not even true. Not everyone IS talented, skilled and intelligent. 

[marbel]

So many things wrong with this. 

[Terabith]

So, I have no idea how this will be implemented.  It might just be posted somewhere.  Or it could be in like the student handbook.  But the article implies that it started when one teacher, who had a close relationship with his students, used it at the beginning of every class, and I'm wondering if it's going to become an addition to the beginning of the school day, along with the pledge (which I also strenuously object to) and National Anthem.  Which, in the high school, I'm told who everyone who isn't part of the ROTC sits out the pledge and anthem, so will be something else for the teens to ignore.  

[Danae]

That is one of the weirdest mish-mashes of good intentions and horrible execution that I have ever read.

[Terabith]

I mean, if the choice is between our school district with its weird pseudo religious heresy chant and the school district that borders ours and has banned rainbows and books, I'm sticking with our district, but it's a super dumb choice to make.

[Clarita]

I think it's a totally bad idea. I can ignore it if it's just a silly thing they put in as part of the back to school papers that no one reads. I would not be OK with my kids saying it like a mantra. 

"I believe everyone existed before me, existed for me and I owe them the honor of being the best that I can be at all times?!" This statement is wrong on so many levels. No everyone existed for my kids and my kids does not need to be the best that they can be at all times. I believe my kids have a right to relax sometimes.

I have no idea how to cultivate a good reputation with all humanity... That also reeks of going along with the status quo.

[EKS]

13 hours ago, scholastica said:

It’s not even true. Not everyone IS talented, skilled and intelligent. 

In fact, most people are remarkably average.

Edited July 30, 2023 by EKS

[J-rap]

That seems like way too many words and messages!  I grew up in the wild west, and this was our school affirmation:   

[Scarlett]

Religious person here, but that would be a hard no from me.  
 

Also isn’t reverence a noun? How does one reverence someone?

I did not see the spelling mistakes, can someone tell me what they are.  

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I read it to my thirteen year old who is a history fanatic.

He would like you all to know that Hitler existed before him but definitely did not exist FOR him and my son does not owe him anything.  I said well; maybe it means ancestors, but we are descendants of the Mather family of Salem witch trial and early Colonial history fame, and I should not have said that, because now I’m being lectured on why he believes we owe our crappy ancestors exactly nothing.

Which now leads me to consider that there are likely neurodivergent children in this school who will perseverate on specific lines in this and their meanings.

 

[Terabith]

Just now, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I read it to my thirteen year old who is a history fanatic.

He would like you all to know that Hitler existed before him but definitely did not exist FOR him and my son does not owe him anything.  I said well; maybe it means ancestors, but we are descendants of the Mather family of Salem witch trial and early Colonial history fame, and I should not have said that, because now I’m being lectured on why he believes we owe our crappy ancestors exactly nothing.

Which now leads me to consider that there are likely neurodivergent children in this school who will perseverate on specific lines in this and their meanings.

 

Yeah, my initial snarky response was the same as your son's about Hitler not existing for me, too.

[Dmmetler]

1 hour ago, Terabith said:

So, I have no idea how this will be implemented.  It might just be posted somewhere.  Or it could be in like the student handbook.  But the article implies that it started when one teacher, who had a close relationship with his students, used it at the beginning of every class, and I'm wondering if it's going to become an addition to the beginning of the school day, along with the pledge (which I also strenuously object to) and National Anthem.  Which, in the high school, I'm told who everyone who isn't part of the ROTC sits out the pledge and anthem, so will be something else for the teens to ignore.  

I taught at a school with a morning affirmation and by about 4th grade most of the kids ignored it. It seems like something administrators think is a good idea and forget that most kids mumble through the pledge with no engagement-and everything else (morning affirmation, moment of silence, morning announcements, quote of the day) gets the same treatment.

 

It does feel like a way to get a prayer under the radar.

[Harriet Vane]

I agree with Tiggy--too many words. Personally, I think something like:

Today I will do my best.

Short. Simple. To the point. Covers all situations, ya know?

 

On reverencing elders--This one is complicated for me. I teach ESL, and the attitude of my Asian students towards older people is so very, very different than Americans. I certainly believe there are risks in teaching that someone's age or status exempts them from questioning or scrutiny. as that definitely enables abuse. Yet, we've lost something precious in American culture with our age-ism and strong glorification of independence. I think as a culture we could be more community-minded and also more respectful of and helpful towards our elders.

[Starr]

We have some of those ancestors that did not do anything we are thankful for. 

[Melissa Louise]

Ironically, there is some evidence that generic affirmations (I am talented, skilled, and intelligent) can DECREASE self-esteem in people who already struggle with self-esteem.

So this seems like a great way to make students who struggle with self-esteem feel even worse.

Affirmations need to be congruent, neutral, and reality-based to help this cohort. I'm blanking on a school example, but the one that comes to mind for me is 'I'm an awesome friend!' vs 'I helped my friend with her cleaning yesterday because I am an empathetic person who could see she was struggling.' One is just not true, it's meaningless, and it's pressuring - the other describes a fact positively and in a way that reinforces a positive internal quality.

Maybe a school-based one could be, 'I went back and edited my writing because I am a careful student who wants to improve as a writer' vs 'In this class, we are super editors and writers!'

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Melissa Louise

[YaelAldrich]

If this is directed towards Black students as I'm guessing it is,  the royalty mention is because there is a strain of ideas that Black folk should act like royalty  not like common folk. It's kind of an understanding that while we were brought here to be slaves,  that's not who we really are.  Straighten your crown sister kind of stuff.  Same thing for the elders stuff. 

https://westerngazette.ca/features/special_editions/the-black-king-and-queen-narrative/article_2f5d3b9e-0a05-11e8-b4d3-1347ad094936.html

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by YaelAldrich
Add the link

[Terabith]

Just now, YaelAldrich said:

If this is directed towards Black students as I'm guessing it is,  the royalty mention is because there is a strain of ideas that Black folk should act like royalty  not like common folk. It's kind of an understanding that while we were brought here to be slaves,  that's not who we really are.  Straighten your crown sister kind of stuff.  Same thing for the elders stuff. 

 

 

I wondered about that, because I heard some similar language when I was a kid growing up in majority Black schools.  Our school district is majority minority.  My gut says you're right about being directed towards Black students.  It still feels problematic to me, but I don't want to be racist.  

[YaelAldrich]

1 minute ago, Terabith said:

I wondered about that, because I heard some similar language when I was a kid growing up in majority Black schools.  Our school district is majority minority.  My gut says you're right about being directed towards Black students.  It still feels problematic to me, but I don't want to be racist.  

I don't know that if you feel all kinds of way about this affirmation  you're racist. You're certainly cognizant that this sounds awful clunky (it is)  and that there's a spelling error (oy vey). Sit with it more and see what comes up for you. 

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Religious person here, but that would be a hard no from me.  
 

Also isn’t reverence a noun? How does one reverence someone?

I did not see the spelling mistakes, can someone tell me what they are.  

Never mind I found the spelling error. 

[Terabith]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Religious person here, but that would be a hard no from me.  
 

Also isn’t reverence a noun? How does one reverence someone?

I did not see the spelling mistakes, can someone tell me what they are.  

I have definitely heard reverence used as a verb.

[Farrar]

Oh my no.

I don't think that would hold up in court if a student refused to say it.

[Terabith]

10 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Oh my no.

I don't think that would hold up in court if a student refused to say it.

Oh, I am sure of that. What I kinda wonder is if it would hold up if a teacher refused to lead it.  

[Brittany1116]

I don't like it. I don't read any Christianese in it, which others seem to feel, but it's altogether... odd. Like every chunk of it is weird, and it is weird as a single thing. We'd nope out of it. 

[Melissa Louise]

'created and designed' sounds like religious language to me. 

 

[Ting Tang]

Huh?! This is bizarre. Who dreams this stuff up?! 

[MercyA]

Noooooooooo.

Nope.

No. 

[popmom]

3 hours ago, YaelAldrich said:

If this is directed towards Black students as I'm guessing it is,  the royalty mention is because there is a strain of ideas that Black folk should act like royalty  not like common folk. It's kind of an understanding that while we were brought here to be slaves,  that's not who we really are.  Straighten your crown sister kind of stuff.  Same thing for the elders stuff. 

https://westerngazette.ca/features/special_editions/the-black-king-and-queen-narrative/article_2f5d3b9e-0a05-11e8-b4d3-1347ad094936.html

 

 

I was thinking this, too. I have seen and heard similar from my peers and neighbors--some of whom are black.. So it didn't offend me,  I had to sit and examine the message for myself. So I think it depends on your own experience in this world as to whether this is helpful or not. My own personal opinion is that there are better ways of getting across this message. But I am not the target audience, so... who am I to judge? 

eta: I am of course a home educator at heart and this is one reason why I didn't want my children in public school. Although nothing like this ever came up the few years they were in public school. 

I suspect that this will have little to NO impact on students' outcomes. This reeks of "somebody needs to come up with something" to make the taxpayers think they are doing something to improve the status quo. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by popmom

[Elizabeth86]

2 hours ago, Brittany1116 said:

I don't like it. I don't read any Christianese in it, which others seem to feel, but it's altogether... odd. Like every chunk of it is weird, and it is weird as a single thing. We'd nope out of it. 

Same