All about the language

”The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” Mark Twain

 

As teachers, we spend a lot of time telling our students to use school-appropriate language.  But sometimes, I think we do that just because it's the right thing to do and because we don't want our students going home and telling mom or dad that "Joey said _____" or "Susie called me a ______."  Well, it should be more than that.  SO much more.

 

I've always been an advocate for the eradication of the r-word.  I whole-heartedly support www.r-word.org and their global mission.  However, there is a larger list of words that I want to teach my students to remove from their vocabulary including "gay", "slow", and "disabled."  These terms are offensive, hurtful, and derogatory.  It's essentially hate-speech.

 

Recently, a famous political figure used the r-word in a tweet, in reference to the President of the United States.  Putting my personal feelings aside, I have to wonder - what kind of an example does that say to our  youth?  Worse yet, this person defended their tweet saying there was nothing wrong with her use of that word.  When asked if she had remorse for using the word, she said, "Oh, of course I don't!"  Seriously?  It's not only sickening, but it worries me to think about the  youth who see this and think it is acceptable.

 

So, where do you begin?  Students are so much older nowadays for their ages than they were when I was a kid.  Many of my fourth graders are interested in boyfriends/girlfriends, own cell phones, and have Facebook accounts.  Shocking.  Naturally, they have a larger 'street-smart' vocabulary and knowledge of differences.

 

People-first language.  Have you ever heard that term?  It is when you put people before their disability.  For example, you can call someone a "disabled student"  or a "student with a disability."  It describes what a person has, NOT what a person is.  How would you like to be defined by something you cannot control, such as a physical appearance?  Our kids might not understand why using people-first language is important, which is the reason why I like to stop and talk about it when I catch a student in action.  Most likely, the example I set for my students will not be earth-shattering.  In fact, I might only get this idea through to a handful of students each year.  But if I can get the importance of people-first language across to even one student, I have made a difference.

 

One of my favorite quotes is "People will forget what you said.  People will forget what you did.  But, they will never forget how you made them feel."  Next time you think about using the r-word (or any other word with a negative connotation) or hear a student use it, STOP and take that opportunity to show the importance of people-first language.  Have students think about something that makes them feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, and have them think about  how they would feel if they were known by that label.  Using those kinds of words might not be a big deal to you (or them), but I can GUARANTEE that it is a big deal to many of us.  Why use it if it can cause harm? 

 

Try using people-first language.  I promise that it can make a difference, even if it's one person at a time.

 

:)  Emily