well the day of silence is over

[dsc]

The kids did really well. We had some straight pride shirts and signs but the people did a great job with it. We responded with more signs not tearing down theirs. I had several faculty and students congradulate me and offer any help. We had over 200 kids trying to participate and some did better than others. But it was amazing to see them react to some adversity and behave maturely. I am going to our speak out thing afterward and will meet some other advisors. This has been a truely great day.

[DarkTirade]

1. I'm glad it went well!

:hi:

[dsc]

2. I am sitting here reflecting on this

and I still am in a little shock. We had so many sign up and they were so well behaved and mature. I also am still in a little shock over how out I really am at school. The faculty were so nice to me too. I feel free so to speak.

[wellstone dem]

3. my neice participated at her school

I am very proud of her.

[dsc]

8. good for her

There were so many students who did such a great job with this (and I know how hard it is for them not to talk). And good for you in helping raise such a child.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Thank you for your work

:toast:

[MuseRider]

5. :)

I am so happy for you and your students and your community. May this be a big push for openness and freedom in your community.

You said this in a post above, "The faculty were so nice to me too. I feel free so to speak." Well now you know how the rest of us feel all the time. It is sad, wrong, a crime, a sin, a travesty that there are people in this country who do not experience this every day. Somewhere in there I can see a very effective slogan. Hmmm.

May you always feel this freedom, it is worth working for. The others can only stand in our way for so long because this work you are doing is going to make a huge difference.

[dsc]

10. It really has been a great feeling

I haven't had any in my face backlash and so many of my fellow teachers have gone out of their way to support me. It really feels great. Even as I was banned from participating in the day of silence many faculty supported me and even some students responed with that is so stupid (I have trained them not to say that is so gay lol). I feel, I guess the word is, confident as well as free.

[noamnety]

6. Ours went really well also.

Nobody protested against it, some spoke individually to kids against it. One teacher openly supported the kids participating, but apparently made some thoughtless jokes that offended the students. Not with intent to hurt, I'm sure, but words are what they are.

Our school has a custom of students putting duct tape over their mouths if they are participating. It started the first year when we ran out of the ribbons, it was a spontaneous thing that a student did, and then others followed suit. In following years, I think students here got the idea that's always just how it's done. It makes the event very visible.

Today also was a tour day for prospective students and parents, so it made a strong statement for them about our school culture.

[dsc]

11. we had some use clear tape

duct tape would hurt, to be honest. Glad yours went well.

[terrya]

7. "straight pride"

It's scary that I could be breathing the same oxygen as those bigots.

I'm happy to hear that the day of silence went well, though. You and those students did a very good thing, dsc. Thank you.

[dsc]

9. I am not enamoured with their views

but they, like my kids, are running for sherrif. Part of me is proud of them too. They are defending their views as well.

[Sabriel]

12. Two of the middle schools I observed at had participants

Four in one class, two in the next. They were eighth graders, and the teacher was very supportive, announcing that even though they were doing some group presentations, some students would have other students read for them.

However, another school in my state was not so supportive:

http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/apr/23/hushing-day-silence/

[dsc]

13. We had some problems

but nothing big. Charolette had a school board member try to get kids whose parents refused to have their kids attend school on that day marked present. It didn't pass. Good for those 8th graders and that teacher.