A Teachable Trump Moment

                                                             

English class was about to start, and the students were still chatting among themselves.

"I can't believe these LIBERALS. They were talking trash about Trump and I just can't stand it', one of the sophomores I support, seethes. His piercing blue eyes looking at me beseechingly  for reassurance.


"I can't believe that you are still seated, and staying calm here in class. I'm super proud of you."

He nodded, feeling validated by my statement. I WAS  proud of him. He's come a long way. Last year at this time he might have been in a pointing, yelling, and shoving match.


We are in Oakland, California, and this student's political leanings is by far in the minority. It's my job to support him in whatever way I can as an Instructional Support Specialist working with students on the Autistic Spectrum, to keep him calm, and focused, sometimes one moment at a time.

We were reading from a textbook in English Class. The teacher was reading aloud, and every few minutes I would turn my head to see if he was following along. After a while, I just surrendered to the fact that he was doing the best he could just by sitting calmly. Maybe some of the words were washing over the coils of his brain, while the contents of his thoughts were in a constant swirl.

I know what it's like to have my thoughts in a constant swirl. Today, we were reading about a man who found himself on the ledge of his apartment building because an important sheet of paper was pulled outside by an air current,  and he chose to go out to get it. The window closed behind him. For a few hours this man's life was in a precarious place, and he toggled between his swirl of thoughts, and being able to maintain enough presence of mind to come into his senses. To keep himself alive. And not panicking, at least not too much. To have enough presence of mind to find his way back into his apartment by breaking open a window.

The vocabulary words and concepts were coming far too fast and furiously for the two of us who struggle with paying just the right amount of attention to get by.

This student's head was in his hands a great deal of the time. His mind wracked in thought.

I kept whispering  how proud I was of him for staying in class. For coming into his senses and staying calm.

"This is what your friend, Mr. Trump gets to do, NEEDS to do  a lot of  the time. Can you imagine just how hard it must be  for him? And look at you now. You're doing it. You're my hero."

At that point, I could never have imagined using President Trump as an example in such a way, but the look on that kids face was priceless. He nodded his head up and down and let me pat his arm a few times.


It was love that I felt at that moment. We connected. And to think I used Mr. Trump as part of this teachable moment. It was a little unreal, yet not altogether unsettling. To be calm in the face of extreme pressure, and adversity is what I wish for everyone. Unconditionally. Including Mr. Trump, because his life depends on it. and so does ours.

Toward the end of class, I told him very openly, though I have not been a  Trump supporter, this doesn't matter to me in the moments I'm here supporting him. ..." The way you are able to be here, now, is the way that the main character in the story was able to figure out what he needed to do to survive."

And when you can stay calm and focused, you can figure anything out.

Again, he nodded emphatically. For this he was able to pay attention. Such love I felt for this kid.

I remember hearing awhile back on KQED, our public radio station, that there was a site where people could connect who have differing political views.  It's called "Hi From The Other Side".

I felt as if I was embodying the presence of this idea throughout the class. I think I would like to know more about what makes this student tick, and to come into more of a deeper understanding.

Because after all, we all just long to be understood.

Now, if we could just get Mr. Trump to take lessons from my student to stay calm.

What stands out for you in this afternoon's story?

Please share in the comments below!

May we ALL stay calm in the face of adversity. Just like my student did today!

https://www.hifromtheotherside.com/