This isn't the only queer educator I've seen a similar story from recently. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar stories from Black educators either. The burnout is only increased when you have...
What else do we bury? Ray Bradbury writes, “The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the hidden sun.”
This isn't the only queer educator I've seen a similar story from recently. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar stories from Black educators either. The burnout is only increased when you have no backup and can't even convince the people in charge that something is wrong.
At one point, he mentions that the words spirit animal is cultural appropriation and I don't really understand - I don't get why it's offensive. I am a sheltered Scandinavian though so hopefully...
At one point, he mentions that the words spirit animal is cultural appropriation and I don't really understand - I don't get why it's offensive. I am a sheltered Scandinavian though so hopefully someone here can explain?
I had to grab something to drink when I realized the yellow bar at the top was moving and I realized it's how far I'd got. This was a great read though, if dense, so it took a while for me to get through, but it was well worth the time! I had to do a lot of googling to understand all the references to quotes and authors and books. I really liked the line "one must imagine Sisyphus happy". I hope the kids cyberbullying him become like Bob.
"Spirit Animal" references some Native American traditions where individuals would be guided or protected by an animal Spirit. It's the English translation of the indigenous words used (or lost)...
"Spirit Animal" references some Native American traditions where individuals would be guided or protected by an animal Spirit. It's the English translation of the indigenous words used (or lost) for some religious beliefs.
There's a tendency to say things like Bandit Heeler (cartoon character, hopefuly Bluey has made it to y'all) is my Spirit Animal implying he's inspirational or a role model and often being sort of sarcastic or ironic. It's considered impolite when looking through a lens of appropriation and appreciation to make jokes/misuse terms like those.
Yeah it's particularly got a whole "it was literally illegal to teach our children the actual words for this and now you talk about a Kardashian being your "spirit animal?"" vibe to it. Some...
Yeah it's particularly got a whole "it was literally illegal to teach our children the actual words for this and now you talk about a Kardashian being your "spirit animal?"" vibe to it.
Some tribes may say totem or are reteaching other indigenous terms as well. There are certainly nuances I don't understand and there are many tribes/First Nations and so I'm being quite broad.
I dont think I understand this passage: That teaching against a hostile culture is a Sisyphian task? Anyway, I do have one comment but I will pre-load it by saying that the isolation the writer...
I dont think I understand this passage:
When I tell him what happened, he relays a similar story about middle schoolers finding a picture on his MySpace. “This was after I had left the school though,” he says. He now works as a professor at a community college in New Jersey. He pauses for a moment. Looks up. He says, “Albert Camus says, ‘We must imagine Sisyphus happy.’”
That teaching against a hostile culture is a Sisyphian task?
Anyway, I do have one comment but I will pre-load it by saying that the isolation the writer feels, the sense of his adminstration not having his back, and the ridiculous shame that was he was made to feel, and the probably too real fear that any violence committed wouldn't be taken seriously by the police, these are all very real and especially terrifying because the writer is a gay man. My comment is "in addition to, albeit in a lesser but no less acceptable degree", as a confirmation of the writer's struggle to, and not "all bullying matters".
So. I think back on my own experience as a teen, and I am positive that, had we had the tech, we would absolutely have cyber bullied our teachers with mockery videos and catfish attempts. If we had discovered that one of our teachers liked a thirst trap, it would have been absolutely hilarious to us and we would laugh over it forever and a day. The bullying would not have mattered* if the victim were cis-gendered or heterosexual. Asterisk. Kids have a good sense of what they can get away with: max pain dealt to others with safety. No one bullies rich and powerful people who are well liked; a lot of people pile on when they sense other adults also hold this individual in contempt or at least apathy.
I'm glad the story ended with the writer finding a new job. Teaching has become a sort of martyrdom. A savage society doesn't deserve educators.
Albert Camus's writings on Sisyphus exist within a philosophical essay on absurdism. Long story short, Camus deduces that it is through the conscious acceptance of his fate that Sisyphus can be...
That teaching against a hostile culture is a Sisyphian task?
Albert Camus's writings on Sisyphus exist within a philosophical essay on absurdism. Long story short, Camus deduces that it is through the conscious acceptance of his fate that Sisyphus can be freed to recognize the absurdity of his situation, and this will bring a sense of acceptance and thus contentment. I believe what the friend is trying to say here is that they have all chosen to be educators and because of such they have all fully accepted that they wish to teach, knowing both the positive and negatives that come along with teaching. Some parts of teaching will feel like Sisyphean tasks and it is only through accepting that they have consciously taken on this burden that they can find happiness.
He did, however, consciously choose to take the action which brought about his punishment. Just as the teachers chose the profession which brought about their 'punishment' (bullying). It's not a...
He did, however, consciously choose to take the action which brought about his punishment. Just as the teachers chose the profession which brought about their 'punishment' (bullying). It's not a perfect analogy for many reasons, but I think the general idea that true acceptance will bring happiness (lofty and practically difficult as it may be) is a relatively sound one.
This is one of those things where two people who study and teach literature are referencing a work that references Greek Myth in a specific context. So they're not referencing actual Sisyphus,...
This is one of those things where two people who study and teach literature are referencing a work that references Greek Myth in a specific context. So they're not referencing actual Sisyphus, they're referencing Camus.
But Camus re-thought Sisyphus’ story, and cast him not as an eternal victim for having to push that stone endlessly up the hill…but as a hero, because he never gave up trying. The world, Camus (see left) said, was insane. It was random and chaotic, and made no inherent sense. Those who attempt to sit back and make order of it all are doomed to failure, because the world, in its misery and absurdity, will swallow you whole.
So what is there to do? According to Camus, it is to take pride, joy, and purpose from the little things that you can do. To own both our failures and our successes as little things that we can control in the midst of an uncontrollable world. It isn’t always easy. https://www.peabodylibrary.org/freeforall/?p=6998
Not sure how much absurdism I'm up for digging around in today but that should give you a start.
Yes, this is basically correct. The alternative is to be in misery until you die. It's something I have thought about quite a lot over the years. There's a lot of times I wonder about that; times...
Yes, this is basically correct.
The alternative is to be in misery until you die.
It's something I have thought about quite a lot over the years. There's a lot of times I wonder about that; times when I feel miserable about the track of my life.
I personally prefer to think of life as the prince rolling up a katamari. Sisyphus had to roll the same boulder up the same mountain every day, but I think that we have much more choice in life than the metaphor allows. We can choose which terrain we push our boulder, as well as the shape and even the size of it to an extent. Though that freedom can be either liberating or oppressive at different times.
The condition dovetails with the serenity prayer, right? In this essay, the writer was able to get one child to reconsider and apologise, which took courage and hopefully it sparks many changes in...
The condition dovetails with the serenity prayer, right?
God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
In this essay, the writer was able to get one child to reconsider and apologise, which took courage and hopefully it sparks many changes in that child's life and in those around him. But even tho the writer's condition of being a gay man in a hostile culture hasn't changed, he was able to choose a different katamari to push: he's moving forward and collecting new experiences. I like this alternative interpretation of the Sisyphus story.
Just chiming in to say this meshes beautifully with the Sisyphus myth. Sisyphus was sent to Tartarus because he pissed off Zeus, but the rolling-the-ball punishment didn't come until later when he...
The alternative is to be in misery until you die.
Just chiming in to say this meshes beautifully with the Sisyphus myth. Sisyphus was sent to Tartarus because he pissed off Zeus, but the rolling-the-ball punishment didn't come until later when he cheated death, seeking to live forever. Pushing the ball up the hill is, literally within the story, the consequence of eternal life.
That does help, thanks! That's more or less what I inferred was going on in the Camus from context but something about Gaywallet's comment threw me off a bit.
That does help, thanks! That's more or less what I inferred was going on in the Camus from context but something about Gaywallet's comment threw me off a bit.
I googled that quote about Sisyphus and the explanation I saw which made sense to me and I didn't see anyone reply with yet, is that it's basically a "find a positive spin on things" message that...
I googled that quote about Sisyphus and the explanation I saw which made sense to me and I didn't see anyone reply with yet, is that it's basically a "find a positive spin on things" message that he is referring to.
While it really sucks that he has to push that boulder up the mountain and constantly restart, the reason we must imagine that he is happy is that when it rolls down, Sisyphus becomes unburdened. The time it takes him to walk back down the mountain to start over, there is no added weight. In that time, he is free from his task - therefore happy. So we must focus on the good things in life.
Me too.. I had a meeting this week about how I can get back of track from years of unemployment. One of the suggestions was that I work in childcare. This essay made me really fear it.
Me too..
I had a meeting this week about how I can get back of track from years of unemployment. One of the suggestions was that I work in childcare. This essay made me really fear it.
The broad landscape is admittedly bleak, but nobody teaches in the landscape specifically. What really matters is the individual school/setting you’re in. Good ones are out there.
The broad landscape is admittedly bleak, but nobody teaches in the landscape specifically. What really matters is the individual school/setting you’re in. Good ones are out there.
This isn't the only queer educator I've seen a similar story from recently. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar stories from Black educators either. The burnout is only increased when you have no backup and can't even convince the people in charge that something is wrong.
It's a long one but a good read. I can't say that I've got anything to add except that I can empathize with a lot of the feelings of the writer.
At one point, he mentions that the words spirit animal is cultural appropriation and I don't really understand - I don't get why it's offensive. I am a sheltered Scandinavian though so hopefully someone here can explain?
I had to grab something to drink when I realized the yellow bar at the top was moving and I realized it's how far I'd got. This was a great read though, if dense, so it took a while for me to get through, but it was well worth the time! I had to do a lot of googling to understand all the references to quotes and authors and books. I really liked the line "one must imagine Sisyphus happy". I hope the kids cyberbullying him become like Bob.
"Spirit Animal" references some Native American traditions where individuals would be guided or protected by an animal Spirit. It's the English translation of the indigenous words used (or lost) for some religious beliefs.
There's a tendency to say things like Bandit Heeler (cartoon character, hopefuly Bluey has made it to y'all) is my Spirit Animal implying he's inspirational or a role model and often being sort of sarcastic or ironic. It's considered impolite when looking through a lens of appropriation and appreciation to make jokes/misuse terms like those.
Thank you for the explanation! It peeves/annoys me when I see runes and Norse mythology used in certain ignorant ways, so in way, I get it.
Yeah it's particularly got a whole "it was literally illegal to teach our children the actual words for this and now you talk about a Kardashian being your "spirit animal?"" vibe to it.
Some tribes may say totem or are reteaching other indigenous terms as well. There are certainly nuances I don't understand and there are many tribes/First Nations and so I'm being quite broad.
I dont think I understand this passage:
That teaching against a hostile culture is a Sisyphian task?
Anyway, I do have one comment but I will pre-load it by saying that the isolation the writer feels, the sense of his adminstration not having his back, and the ridiculous shame that was he was made to feel, and the probably too real fear that any violence committed wouldn't be taken seriously by the police, these are all very real and especially terrifying because the writer is a gay man. My comment is "in addition to, albeit in a lesser but no less acceptable degree", as a confirmation of the writer's struggle to, and not "all bullying matters".
So. I think back on my own experience as a teen, and I am positive that, had we had the tech, we would absolutely have cyber bullied our teachers with mockery videos and catfish attempts. If we had discovered that one of our teachers liked a thirst trap, it would have been absolutely hilarious to us and we would laugh over it forever and a day. The bullying would not have mattered* if the victim were cis-gendered or heterosexual. Asterisk. Kids have a good sense of what they can get away with: max pain dealt to others with safety. No one bullies rich and powerful people who are well liked; a lot of people pile on when they sense other adults also hold this individual in contempt or at least apathy.
I'm glad the story ended with the writer finding a new job. Teaching has become a sort of martyrdom. A savage society doesn't deserve educators.
Albert Camus's writings on Sisyphus exist within a philosophical essay on absurdism. Long story short, Camus deduces that it is through the conscious acceptance of his fate that Sisyphus can be freed to recognize the absurdity of his situation, and this will bring a sense of acceptance and thus contentment. I believe what the friend is trying to say here is that they have all chosen to be educators and because of such they have all fully accepted that they wish to teach, knowing both the positive and negatives that come along with teaching. Some parts of teaching will feel like Sisyphean tasks and it is only through accepting that they have consciously taken on this burden that they can find happiness.
Wasn't Sisyphus's fate a punishment though? I was following you up until there.
He did, however, consciously choose to take the action which brought about his punishment. Just as the teachers chose the profession which brought about their 'punishment' (bullying). It's not a perfect analogy for many reasons, but I think the general idea that true acceptance will bring happiness (lofty and practically difficult as it may be) is a relatively sound one.
This is one of those things where two people who study and teach literature are referencing a work that references Greek Myth in a specific context. So they're not referencing actual Sisyphus, they're referencing Camus.
I've not read Camus but here's sparknotes: https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/sisyphus/summary/
Not sure how much absurdism I'm up for digging around in today but that should give you a start.
Yes, this is basically correct.
The alternative is to be in misery until you die.
It's something I have thought about quite a lot over the years. There's a lot of times I wonder about that; times when I feel miserable about the track of my life.
I personally prefer to think of life as the prince rolling up a katamari. Sisyphus had to roll the same boulder up the same mountain every day, but I think that we have much more choice in life than the metaphor allows. We can choose which terrain we push our boulder, as well as the shape and even the size of it to an extent. Though that freedom can be either liberating or oppressive at different times.
The condition dovetails with the serenity prayer, right?
In this essay, the writer was able to get one child to reconsider and apologise, which took courage and hopefully it sparks many changes in that child's life and in those around him. But even tho the writer's condition of being a gay man in a hostile culture hasn't changed, he was able to choose a different katamari to push: he's moving forward and collecting new experiences. I like this alternative interpretation of the Sisyphus story.
Also, Sisyphus didn't have a kickin' soundtrack.
Man that one student, one change, one big thank you, one " you changed/saved my life" gets you so far. It keeps me moving at least.
Just chiming in to say this meshes beautifully with the Sisyphus myth. Sisyphus was sent to Tartarus because he pissed off Zeus, but the rolling-the-ball punishment didn't come until later when he cheated death, seeking to live forever. Pushing the ball up the hill is, literally within the story, the consequence of eternal life.
Not a fan of absurdism? I find a sort of weird solace in it, though I don't ascribe to the theory as a whole.
Oh no, not that, just don't have time for an ADHD deep dive and took my Adderall today.
That does help, thanks! That's more or less what I inferred was going on in the Camus from context but something about Gaywallet's comment threw me off a bit.
I googled that quote about Sisyphus and the explanation I saw which made sense to me and I didn't see anyone reply with yet, is that it's basically a "find a positive spin on things" message that he is referring to.
While it really sucks that he has to push that boulder up the mountain and constantly restart, the reason we must imagine that he is happy is that when it rolls down, Sisyphus becomes unburdened. The time it takes him to walk back down the mountain to start over, there is no added weight. In that time, he is free from his task - therefore happy. So we must focus on the good things in life.
As someone going into public education, wow.
Ye gods I hope things aren't this bleak.
Me too..
I had a meeting this week about how I can get back of track from years of unemployment. One of the suggestions was that I work in childcare. This essay made me really fear it.
The broad landscape is admittedly bleak, but nobody teaches in the landscape specifically. What really matters is the individual school/setting you’re in. Good ones are out there.