What I want my students to know...
"Ms. Taylor hates Robin Thicke. And Miley Cyrus." These were the words my students busted out with when Matt Wertz (an awesome singer/songwriter who graciously visited our class last week) gave them a quizzical look after an off-handed comment about Thicke. I didn't really deny it. I don't hate them as people per se. I more hate what I see their messages doing to my kids. Between my classes, the writing center, and coaching, I talk to hundreds of kids every year, and the more time I spend with them, the more they become my kids--the cause of my worry, the audience for my unsolicited advice, the people I am cheering for as they decide what it means to be a good human--an adult. And the longer I teach, the more vocal I become about messages from pop culture that concern me. And when I see my students absorbing lies about their value or place in society, I begin to panic a bit. I fear they are buying in to a dangerous understanding of who they are. So here