In a world that is filled with unkind people, why
not be kind? It costs you nothing. I
consider myself relatively nice, so whenever I have a run in with someone mean,
unpleasant, or just straight up rude, it blows my mind. I’m not pretending I’m
perfect, because I’ve had days when I didn’t feel like being kind, but I tried my best to work through it and do
better. It amazes me the way some people treat people sometimes, and I wonder
how many people grew up knowing the Golden Rule? You know, treat others the way you want to be treated. I think many people
may have missed that and it definitely shows. I can personally testify that
the Lord has tested me many times in this area, just to help me improve my
character. It’s not easy being kind in an unkind world but as a believer, it’s
often necessary to do so. It’s a
kingdom representation thing. But if I can keep it real for a moment –
sometimes, some people piss me off so bad I actually want to flip stuff over,
however, I can’t do that. I’m certain the Lord wouldn’t be pleased. While I’d
like to imagine a world where most people are kind, I’m realistic about what
I’m up against. So, when you go out into the world today, be kind, whether you
may feel like it or not. You’ll be
doing yourself and others a tiny favor that can make a huge difference.
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...