“I won’t wear a mask because I live in a free country…” some idiocy paraphrased from Kevins and Karens
I went to pick up dog food the other day. The nice folks at Pet Food Express had a great system in place to maintain a safer experience for the customers and for themselves. Yet, they all looked frazzled. It turns out that a few shoppers freaked out on them about being required to wear a mask in the store.I know there’s a segment of folks who do this on purpose and video the interactions in hope of gaining notoriety and maybe some money. Insert eye rolling emoticon here. The anti-mask thing seems to be the latest faux flashpoint for some folks looking to tantrum. As noted, this is an issue of respect and selfishness. And, this connects to an issue that schools could do a better job addressing - balancing the Me and the We.
Today I saw a graph online that presents the Pros and Cons of mask wearing (https://twitter.com/bethrevis/status/1262375254938341376/photo/1). I’m not a fan of mask wearing, but I do it to make sure I don’t inadvertently contribute to the problem.What got my attention was the phrase in the pro mask column that read - “SHOW RESPECT. It’s Not About You.” Finally someone else said it! Chapeau.
My classic first day of school speech centered on reminding students that they were not the center of the universe and that the world did not revolve around them. That we were in this together. Throughout the year I reminded folks that not everything was about them. It was often an uphill battle. Judging from the amount to tantrumming children I see dressed as grown ups on the news these days, a lot of teachers chose not to address this problem in school.
One way to examine the basics of democracy is to explore the tension between the individual and the community. Although I went into detail describing democracy in the classroom in an early post, let me quickly review. Democracy translates (in ancient Greek) to actions taken for the good of the community. To the Greeks idiocy (actions taken for the benefit of the individual) represented the opposite of democracy. Fast forward to the founding of the American democratic republic. The central tension at the core of this little experiment balanced the needs/rights between federal, state, and individual entities. In the classroom, we often see similar tensions arise. For students and teachers this democracy versus idiocy presents as a Me versus We issue.
Our country has been transformed by a zero sum mindset. I win. You lose. I will get mine and you will get what’s left. Our country and our classroom should not resemble packs of wild dogs fighting over scraps. Zero sum idiocy in the classroom is the student who dominates conversations or hoards resources. The student who makes sure everyone knows how smart they are or what grade they got. It could also be the student who cuts everyone down, bullies, or intimidates their peers. Even the most jaded, or burnt out teacher knows on some level that classrooms don’t have to operate this way.
The various pandemic problems have created a network of Me versus We issues. Initially we saw the Me Folks hoarding toilet paper, hand sanitizer, etc. The We Folks asked questions about flattening the curve and social distancing. More recently, we see the Me Folks protesting against stay at home orders and wearing masks. While We Folks continue to look for ways to support the community and contribute to solutions. No matter how you view the current situation, what has happened should fundamentally alter how we live and how our country operates moving forward. In teacher talk, what we have is a giant teachable moment. We can do better to balance the Me and the We. I think that we as educators could do more to adjust students’ mindsets to be more aware of the Me and the We issues.
It is possible for the community and individuals to benefit in the classroom. A parent once tried to admonish me for having students create portions for the group during a buffet dinner while camping. Beyond being a good way for students to analyze and divide their resources, I pointed out, we had to do this because some students at the front of the line tried to take most of the food and the cooks at the back of the line ended up with little food. I mentioned that students didn’t think this was fair so they created a solution and that the students who usually complained about the new system were the ones who tended to take most of the food. Teachers can create similar solutions for class interactions.
Listen, everyone has the right to protest. Few people enjoy being told what to do. The pandemic has disrupted everything. It sucks and most folks want to get out and do things. Some of the protest signs are funny (although I don’t think farting and a virus work the same). Others however make great examples of Greek idiocy. Please stop confusing your freedom and this the current inconveniences. Stop throwing a fit like a toddler who didn’t get their way if you have to wear a mask in a store. Side note - lay off the hypocrisy and faux history - when protesting stop misappropriating historical figures, using quotes out of context, etc. Don’t call stay at home orders fascist and then vote for an authoritarian president who corrodes democracy. Don’t use ‘my body, my choice’ signage now, but later support pro-life candidates. And for heaven's sake, don’t compare pandemic policies to Hitler’s Germany. I mean you can, but you’d be wrong and just show how little you understand.
Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. Just know that none of this is about you. The current predicament is about the community. Freedom requires responsibility and accountability. Unfortunately too many people act like teenagers - they want all the freedom, none of the responsibility, and get pissed when they are held accountable. Whenever we get back in the classroom, let’s do more to dismantle zero sum interactions and show students how to balance their needs with the needs of the community. If we do this, we can all get what we need.