More often than not, I’m usually right about people
when I meet them. The discernment I possess is a powerful gift. I’m great at sensing whether someone’s
authentic or not, which is why it doesn’t surprise me or catch me off guard
when I find out someone’s been talking badly about me (and thinks I don’t know),
is being fake, or walks away. These three things reveal themselves when I
simply, pause and pay attention. When this happened with someone I was acquainted
with some time ago, I thought, Should I
really be surprised? They’ve already shown me the kind of person they are. I
always pray that God covers me when it comes to my blind spots, especially in
regards to people, because I can see where my willingness to be open to and
with different people I shouldn’t have, ended up causing some issues and
ultimately ended up being a waste of time. I wish I was wrong about different
people I’ve known, many of which I’ve grown to love (closely and from a
distance) but I’m getting better and better at separating the real ones from
the fakes. Authenticity is rare. We live in a world today where so many people
are stunting about who they really are, while pretending to be something
they’re not. If you don’t believe me, take a close look at your own life and
think about all the different people you know, or think you know by simply, pausing and paying attention. I guarantee
you’ll notice things that have been there all along, but won’t become apparent
until something happens, that show’s you who they really are. I’m just saying…
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...