NEVER underestimate the power of the kilt to teach

[Alan H]

Two more stories from the substitute teacher trenches...

Yesterday I took a several "English as a Second Language" classes. Most of the kids are Hispanic, and fortunately yo hablo espanol, pero muy poquito. this group needed to go downstairs, however to get tested on their English proficiency, so downstairs we went.

While waiting in the outdoor breezeway for packs of five kids (at a time) to go into the cafeteria for testing, I got to talking to four-five of the boys. One of these boys was Hispanic, but he was wearing an "Iron Maiden" t-shirt and actually a very Celtic-looking silver lion rampant on a chain.

Trust me, "Iron Maiden", which is a Heavy Metal rock band from the early 1980's is NOT part of the Hispanic Boyz School Uniform at this high school. I'll just say it..."Iron Maiden" is a White kids band from the 80's, and NOT what these kids listen to. No, you MUST wear baggy black pants, and either a very oversize sports team jersey, three oversize t-shirts, or a black hooded sweatshirt. NOTHING else is acceptable if you're a Hispanic boy at this school..

Well, we got to talking about "differences", and this kid told me about how he had a hard time around his neighborhood, sometimes, because he dressed differently from most of the other boys, and listened to different music.

Now "Iron Maiden" and Heavy Metal might not strike you as equivalent to the kilt, but TO THIS KID, that t-shirt was a statement about who he was. The two new Jordanian boys (recently here from the nation of Jordan in the Middle East) piped up and told some stories about how they'd beeen stared at and made fun of because they were DIFFERENT. I noticed a couple of the Hispanic boys and several of the girls listening, and one of the boyz...a real troublemaker in class I might add, piped up with That's not right...to give people s**t just because they don't wear the same clothes like you. He pointed at me and said You wear different clothes, but You're cool.. I laughed and thanked him, and asked the kid that was wearing the Iron Maiden t-shirt why he'd brought up the topic at all. He said "You're wearing a kilt, so I kinew you'd understand."

The kilt TEACHES......... without the kilt, a really valuable five minutes of education never would have happened.

Story #2. OK, so today I took three sections of PE at the last school in the District, the one I hadn't been to, yet. At lunch I went and ate lunch smack-dab in the middle of the quad, where about 500 kids, again mostly Hispanic, saw me. I had some interactions with various kids...one black guy called it a skirt, but his buddy said " you STOOOPID, n***er...that's a KILT!. ..So I shook his hand and bumped fists and called Him "blood" and told him to kick his buddies *** 'till he learned that word "kilt" and they laughed and clowned it up...BUT.

....The next time I saw the kid that had called it skirt, he called it a kilt and we bumped fists in the hallway in front of a mess of other kids.

Not thirty seconds after I'd done that, a teacher stepped out of her room. It was her prep period, so there were no kids inside. She said to me "You must be the guy my girls were talking about".

I was surprised, but GET THIS..... after her 5th period (the period after lunch) two of the girls in her 5th period came up to her and wanted to start a Celtic Heritage Club on campus...and could they meet in Miss Erin's room (her name was Erin...son of a gun, how about that) at lunchtime on Tuesdays?

Well, of course Miss Erin was quite pleased to be the faculty sponsor for the Celtic Heritage Club of Woodside High School, and she asked the girls "Why are you asking me today? Why didn't you ask me to sponsor the club at the beginning of the school year?"

Their reply... "because today we saw this teacher at school wearing a kilt, and that gave us the idea. If he can wear a kilt to school, then we can start this club.".... They want me to visit the club when it gets going and talk about why I wear a kilt.

The Kilt is a catalyst.

'Scuse me, but if you teach school... WEAR YOUR KILT TO SCHOOL!

You'll take some heat, but you never know what will happen.

[Zardoz]

Good on you! :mrgreen:

[Panache]

Alan,

I greatly enjoy your stories from substitute teaching.

You are obviously a positive influence.

It sounds also that sometimes like you learn and grow as well as the students.

Cheers

[Mr. Kilt]

What a fantastic story! Maybe there is hope for today's youth after all.

[morrison]

...The Kilt is a catalyst.
...'Scuse me, but if you teach school... WEAR YOUR KILT TO SCHOOL!
...You'll take some heat, but you never know what will happen.

I should think also, one will be turning up the heat against ignorance and bringing cool to acceptance of selves and others!
Grade A. Alan H

[crboltz]

I teach college (technical theatre), so due to the physical part of the job (climbing esp.) I don't wear my kilt to work. BUT 2 fridays ago, I was going in for one meeting then heading down south to see my boyfriend. I wanted to wear my kilt that weekend, his iron isn't very good, and everytime I pack my kilt it is a mess when I unpack it..... SO, I wore the kilt to work. I got rude comments from the secretary. The costume designer and I had a long discussion about my choices for pleat detph, and mix of box and scissor pleats, and a few small sewing tips (I made this kilt myself), and most of the other teachers didn't notice/care/comment. BUT on the way out of the meeting, 3 students were walking past -- in complete shock. But, being brought up with manners, had no idea what to say. I don't have a sporan, and since my kilt is a much more contemproary style, I use a leather fanny pack as my "pockets". All one student could say was "Wow, i miss wearing fanny packs, they wer so great!" We had a five minute fanny pack talk, and which was all very coded for "wear what you want." Several of the other teachers who hadn't headed back to their offices, were lingering in the hall to hear the conversations with smirks on their faces. I hope the kids learned something. I hear the rumor has gotten around, and I think my coolness factor went up again.

part of me thinks I need to buy a UK, cause they (supposedly) have a modesty snap that might allow me to climb and hang off of scenery the way I need to and not get written up for public exposure.

Cheers
Chris

PS the kid who was most in shock, had to wear a kilt in the last play he was in, but he did tell me he was real self conscience about it.

[pdcorlis]

'Scuse me, but if you teach school... WEAR YOUR KILT TO SCHOOL!

Couldn't agree more Alan. My kilted classroom experiences have taught me that the kilt can open doors to conversations that flow in many directions - virtually all of them good.

[Blu (Ontario)]

Good stories Alan.

You know... I think you're having W a a a a y more fun doing this job than you had at the last one!

[TimC]

Opening minds as you move in and out of lives is what it all about - Great job Alan!

-Tim

[Barclay]

A great story, thanks for sharing and no doubt, you've had a great influence on these kids. Good on ya!