TURN YOUR BAD EXPERIENCES INTO A BEST-SELLING BOOK -PART TWO- Published article by Nicole Marie Weaver
Provided by uPublish.info at http://www.upublish.info
Have you ever been bullied? I have many times. I remember the constant name-calling. One girl cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed:
"Hey Frenchie, pass the syrup and the French toast." "Hey Frenchie, pass the French fries and ketchup."
The worst thing that happened to me was when a girl cleared her throat and spat all over my face. The snot dribbled down my face. I was so humiliated that I considered committing suicide. I felt very alone in a new country. To make matters worse my mom was convinced I started the trouble, and I got a beating after school. The kids lied and said I started the fight. My mother believed the principal. Her words still echo loudly in my mind.
"You had to start the trouble, why would the kids make fun of you since you can't even speak English," she shouted.
More trouble came when I won the school's spelling bee. I learned English in six months and loved to read. I had a habit of reading with a dictionary next to me. I often looked up words I did not know and that habit helped me excel in all of my classes. Of course doing well in school earned me a new name: Oreo cookie.
"Frenchie looks like a monkey from Africa, but she sure can spell," teased one girl.
I hated school not because I did not like learning, but I wanted to avoid seeing my tormentors on a daily basis. To this day, I am clueless on why the kids in my school treated me with such hatred. I had just moved to New York from my native Port-au-Prince Haiti. What did I do to deserve this type of treatment?
My experiences led me to be very conscientious about the damages bullying can do to one's self-esteem. As a classroom teacher, I am very strict about what students can say to each other. I do not tolerate any kind of bullying or teasing. I strongly believe every child have a right to attend school without being subjected to name-calling because of his or her physical look, race, religion or sexual orientation.
In 2011, I got inspired to write a book of short story: "My Birthday Is September Eleven and Other Short Stories." My kids are biracial. The short story "Zebra Boy" is one of five stories in "My Birthday Is September Eleven and Other Short Stories," that I wrote to address the devastating problem faced by biracial children. The story offers hope and teach both child and parent how to handle racial discrimination.
It is one thing to be teased, and it is another to be taunted because of your race. The term "Zebra Color" is very demeaning at best. The ultimate test for me was when I moved to Denver. I taught middle school in an area where there were many biracial families. I had at least ten biracial students in my classes. With a very heavy heart, I observed the name-calling, and the constant teasing.
"Hey zebra boy, go back to Africa where you came from," shouted a girl.
I got a copy of the movie Color of Friendship and showed it to my classes. Many of the students were astounded. Many were not aware of such hatred. After the movie, I asked the class to write an essay on why it is wrong to be a racist.
Racist children learn it from home. In my opinion, the best thing an educator can do is to educate through reading stories about the issue. I also believe the school has a responsibility to protect the student body by bringing guest speakers to address issues on diversity.
I cannot tell other parents how to raise their children, but in my household, I listen to my children and show them how much I love them. All children need supportive parents. Meaningful support comes in many forms, but the most important is emotional support.
I am hugely pleased my book has been on Amazon's best-selling list. I want to be part of the solution. Parents and teachers can use my book as a resource to discuss racial discrimination and other issues that young people face in today's world.
http://mybirthdayiseptembereleven.blogspot.com