#concerned student

Signs You Need a Break From Blogging

Hey everyone, how are ya? I hope things are going good for you and that your skin is glowing and the sun is shining (or maybe it’s autumn, in which case I hope you’re enjoying fall flavors and colors). I’ve not been very active recently and I’ve been debating going on hiatus for a while but didn’t want to let go just yet. Hiatus sounds more daunting than it should be. (more…)

UNILAG Student Rusticated over post on social media: I Don’t Regret My Action

A 400-level student of the University of Lagos, Olorunfemi Adeyeye, talks about the . post that led to his rustication with Punch’s Gbenga Adeniji. Excerpt:

Were you part of the University of Lagos Students’ Union executives recently suspended by the school management for their roles in a protest in the university?

No, I am neither a member of the University of Lagos Students’ Union nor a…

Mizzou diversity director tells black activists in strongly worded letter to stop making demands

The chief diversity officer at the University of Missouri (MU) has authored a letter sharply reprimanding the school’s black activist movement, urging it to stop relying on threats and impossible demands. “If you sincerely want better relationships, the time for demands, threats and arbitrary deadlines is over — you don’t need them,” said Chuck Henson, who was appointed as MU’s interim vice…

My first teacher is an artist and, to get by, takes requests, some of them very inappropriate. My second teacher doesn't seem comfortable with this, as the class is mainly for children. She hasn't said anything, but she doesn't include him in class much anymore. He already said that he might leave and start his own class, which is fine, but I'm still worried. I care about them both deeply, and I don't know what to do. Should I get involved? -Concerned student

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Hello dear,

I guess the biggest question would be how open the teachers are about this. If they're really open about it (e.g. everyone knows the debate is going on and the teachers aren't trying to hide it), I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you (or your parents, if you're under age yourself) to let the teachers know that you support the first teacher and would like him to stay with your current school. You could do that by writing a letter, having a conversation with the other teacher, really whatever is comfortable for you (or your parents). It would also be a nice gesture to let the first teacher know about your support.

However, if this isn't public knowledge in your school yet, it's probably a good idea to stay out of it...for now. Keep an eye on things and see if an opportunity to express support for the first teacher would come up. But if the teachers are trying to keep it quiet, they might not welcome input from someone who shouldn't know what's going on. In this case, HOW you find out might also change things a little. For example, if you overheard a conversation that was supposed to be private, it's probably best to keep quiet. But if one or both of the teachers shared what is going on with you, then it might be okay to tell that teacher your opinion. Just keep it all between yourselves (i.e. don't go around telling other students what's going on).

One thing I would say, though, is that whether or not you decide to act, you'll want to be careful to make sure you know the whole story first. Just because this is the issue you KNOW about doesn't mean it's the actual cause of trouble between the two teachers. It's possible that this issue is only one problem of many that the second teacher has with the first (e.g. maybe they're also having disagreements about how to teach the classes, what to charge for classes, etc.). It's possible that the commissions themselves aren't the problem, but maybe the first teacher has been behaving in ways that expose children to inappropriate material. If your second teacher is objecting to the simple fact that the first teacher's entire life isn't G-rated, that's a problem. If the second teacher is objecting because the first teacher has been bringing his notebook full of inappropriate material to work and leaving it where kids can/do get into it, or having explicit discussions about commission content with customers where kids can hear, that IS a problem and I would be inclined to side with the second teacher. It's also possible that the problem is something else entirely and the second teacher is just using this one as an excuse.

So in short, I don't think it would be bad to let the teachers know you support the first teacher IF the disagreement is public knowledge and you're fairly confident you know the whole story. But if the debate isn't public knowledge or if you feel like you might be missing any of the story, it's probably better to stay out of it, at least for now.

Good luck, and I hope this turns out well for you and your teachers.

Best,