Dear EtS teachers...

by Derek Burtch, executive director of Erase the Space
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For those of you who may not know, I teach senior English in the mornings in Olentangy Schools, a place where the reactions to the election were as polarized as they were varied. Yesterday took all the energy I had to be there for students. And be there for my colleagues, some who are thinking of leaving the country for their safety. Moments like these are among the reasons why I decide to stay in the classroom while serving as the executive director of Erase the Space. 
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It was emotional having lunch with one of my trans students as they told me they were worried for their safety. “I didn’t feel this way yesterday,” they told me. “It was always a social risk to dress the way I do, but it feels different now. Like, I feel unsafe being myself.” We sat, ate, and went through a process my students call my “emotional tarot readings.” In short, it involves me laying out “emotions cards” for them to identify how they “feel now” and how they “want to feel,” and then helping them work through those feelings. It’s a powerful way to be radically present and help students understand what is going on inside of them. 

I felt very inadequate yesterday. I felt that I needed to do a deep dive into why the Joe Rogan podcast isn’t the beacon of “free speech” so many of the young men in my class think it is. I felt that I needed to push some students to explain why they were so elated by the election results. Why couldn’t I “show them the light”? Why couldn’t I have a sit down with each of them one-on-one and talk about the harm on its way and why their excitement isn’t sitting well with their classmates? Why couldn’t I give the right words in the right order so we could all be on the same page?

The answer to all of those questions of “why couldn’t I…” is because I shouldn’t. Anyone can tell teenagers that their idols are false, and anyone who has tried that knows how effective that “hard truth telling” tactic is with teenagers. Try telling teenage boys that their favorite podcast daddy is just insecure masculinity thinly veiled behind “just asking questions.” It doesn’t go over well; they just end up liking it more. Instead, I can lay out the fertile learning ground for students to discover the hard truths for themselves. That’s what teachers do. 

Teaching isn’t telling. 

If I engage with them as the developing young people that they are, understanding that their understanding of the world is still confined to their home and school, it gives them a chance. It gives them someone who believes they can choose the side of truth and justice. Someone who lets them choose—something we adults are notably terrible at. 

One of my favorite publications, Rethinking Schools, sent out a post-election message yesterday that reminded me that what I was doing was enough, was more than adequate. It was and is radical. “In the days and weeks ahead, we need to hold space for young people to express their feelings, to ask questions, to share their concerns — as we also navigate the weight of our own feelings.” Learning together and holding space for students allows for real growth to emerge rather than extracting manufactured consent to how I see things.

Erase the Space was born out of two teachers reeling from the 2016 election. Amelia Gordon and I had ideas of what we wanted to do and 11/8/2016 pushed us to translate our ideas into action. Studying the problem of metropolitan segregation led us to understand the problem of segregated civic discourse and the need for students and teacher to connect across boundaries. Our work rests on a strong foundation of experience and relationships, and all of you are off to a great start. For anyone feeling lost or confused about what to do or how to respond, you already are.
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Erase the Space is designed for times like this. In this moment, Erase the Space brings eight years of development, collaboration, connection, and solidarity. We had to come up with the idea the last time. We are ready now. And, for all 46 of the teachers engaged in our classroom learning exchanges this year, I just want to remind all of us that connection is always the antidote to despair, and civic discourse across difference brings about meaningful, unexpected, and radical connections for teachers and students. Forging invaluable bonds of empathy and understanding is imperative as we and our students navigate this new, troubling chapter our country has entered.