Had a conversation with two different students about dealing with students versus dealing with adults.  I always think my kids feel I put up with a great deal of stupidity from their classmates and I am kind of light-hearted about it. Not quite that simple.  As I put it to the two ladies, what I can handle easily from a teenager cannot be put up with from an adult.  I told one girl yesterday "At my age, if you are still thinking those kinds of stupid thoughts, I don't have time for that."  A lot of people are impatient with teenagers, their impulsive actions and words, their supposed ignorant thoughts and beliefs.  But we have to look at it from another angle.  We were still figuring out who we were, what our opinions were, and how we wanted to be seen.  We were sometimes stupid, but also sometimes wicked intelligent.  And so are my students.  There are absolutely silly things that come out, and I laugh with them.  There are absolutely stupid, ignorant things that come out, and that is when I stop the class and do some social educating.  There are some crazy insightful things that come out, and that is when I shine the spotlight on them.  But..

And this is a big but...  I have zero tolerance for that kind of stupidity and ignorance in an adult of my age.  Some examples of the stupidity I am sick of dealing with?  I have known people who still say racist, sexist, homophobic things.  And when I call them out, there is a very weak excuse.  When talking about the cutting of overtime for people at my job, someone said "Well, many places no longer have overtime."  Well, just because my neighbour hits his wife, does that make it ok for me to hit my husband?  One bad action does not justify another.   I pointed out that the CEOs that made those cuts are still getting raises, the money is still there, the work is piling up, and the justification is false.  I got a shrug.   Last year, while insanely busy at work, I get a message from a former friend about that amber alert about a kidnapped kid in Delaware.  It was all anyone was talking about at work.  Really?  With all that is going on around you, that is your biggest concern?  Something you have zero ability to control, help, or solve.  What about the missing kids in other places closer to home?  Oh wait, this kid from Delaware was cute, white, blonde.  And found quickly.  It is so much easier to fret about something we can't do anything about while our local food pantries are empty, our students are homeless, their parents are losing their jobs, their houses burn down.....  I could go on.  But by all means, worry your pretty little hearts about an event a state away while you do nothing here at home.  Sorry, but the things that keep me up at night are the things I can do something to change or improve, and I actually get off my ass to try to change those things.

When I discuss these ignorant actions and ways of thinking with students, they get it.  I let them explain themselves and their thinking.  They let me explain my rationale and experiences.  We have a dialogue, we listen to each other.  We might not change each other's minds 100%, but the wheels have begun to turn.  When I try this with many adults, I get the "What are ya gonna do?"  Really?  What am I going to do?  I am going to get off my ass, write to people who can implement change, protest my local politician's office, go to my town meetings to raise a ruckus, get involved in my union, volunteer, support businesses that are righteous and responsible.  Because loafing around all day on facebook, twitter, or pinterest posting happy dippy thoughts or inane, insulting, ignorant memes won't change a thing other than making me realize I prefer my students to people like you.  And there are an awful lot of you out there.