I stumbled across a short poem online the other day.
Cause I ain’t got a pencil
By Joshua T. Dickerson
I woke myself up
Because we ain’t got an alarm clock
Dug in the dirty clothes basket,
Cause ain’t nobody washed my uniform
Brushed my hair and teeth in the dark,
Cause the lights ain’t on
Even got my baby sister ready
Cause my mama wasn’t home.
Got us both to school on time,
To eat us a good breakfast.
Then when I got to class the teacher fussed
Cause I ain’t got a pencil.
Despite my making a conscious effort everyday to remember that not everyone’s circumstances are the same, I still need reminding sometimes. I still need to remember some of my students will come to class without something they need simply because they just don’t have it. It isn’t always forgetfulness. It isn’t always laziness. It isn’t always defiance of the rules. Some of the time, maybe even a lot of the time, they just don’t have it. It isn’t because they don’t want to listen and it isn’t because they don’t care.
During my first year, a student asked what the house I grew up in looked like. I told everyone it was small but my parents took great care of it and made sure it always looked nice. They still do. They have lived in that house for 35 years. The student then said,
So, how big was the downstairs of your house?
I didn’t know and I hadn’t ever really thought about it.
Well, the downstairs is maybe a few feet bigger than this classroom.
My student, who is one of the funniest people I have ever known, laughed and said,
Miss. Do you know how big my whole house is? My ENTIRE house? It’s the size of this corner!
He walked over and held his arms out in a big bear hug stance and stood in the corner showing everyone that his house was as small as that space.
When we eat dinner, all our elbows touch. Me, my mama, my step dad, and my sister. Our elbows touch like this…
and he forced his elbows together in front of himself. I will miss this kid next year. He is graduating. I am so proud of him but sad for myself.
Everyone laughed watching his theatrics including me, probably more than anyone else. But, it made me think. I’ve always thought of my house as small, but to someone who didn’t have that much, that house was pretty impressive. I’ve always been proud of it because my parents spent so many hours keeping it up and making sure it was the nicest house on our street; and it was and it still is.
I didn’t really realize that I was so fortunate to have things that other people with less might really admire. I had a picture of my parents’ house on my phone. I took it before I moved to Houston three years ago so that I could look at it whenever I got homesick. I showed my students and they all replied with “whoa!” and “that’s a nice house, miss” and “look at your street! It’s like a movie street!” They were right and I hadn’t realized until they said it.
I gain little bits of perspective slowly over time. My students teach it to me; these kids with challenges I have never had to face. What I always thought was average was actually really beautiful to some of them. What I always thought was an unspoken rule – bringing a pen or pencil to all my classes – was easy for me because I had all the things I needed for school. Money was set aside for school supplies and new school clothes every year without thought and without question. Not everyone has that. Some of my students don’t have that. I hope to change it somehow.
I bring spare pens to class now.
For more Good Expression.
This post is amazing. Thank you!
What the author says is true; however, there is a big difference between students who are unable to bring materials and students who do not, due to apathy and/or a lack of organization. Teachers who know their students (and everyone should) know the difference, and enabling those who should be prepared is not doing them any favor, as we prepare them for life! I always have extra pencils in my room, and they are available to those truly in need.
Apathy and lack of organization are problems that need sympathy as well…sometimes students with those hurdles are just as unable to bring materials as students who cannot afford them.
I think sometimes teachers do not understand this.
I really like this poem. But for every action there is an opposite reaction. I was constantly walking away with businesses’ pens. Picking up pencils in the hall. As a teacher I had to hide from my husband how much money I spent on my students. Low salary, the school didn’t have money to give me to buy supplies, duct taping textbooks, no planning time, test scores, how am I going to send my kids to college, plus all the other academic worries for my students. Sometimes a teacher breaks. Help out a teacher. Buy a CASE of pencils and donate them to your local school.
I am the author of this poem, I would love to speak with the writer of this article.
Hi Joshua,
May I please share this poem with the rest of the faculty at the Elementary school that I work at? I think it would realty be a great poem to help open perspective.
Thanks,
Ms. Bleier
Joshua, your poem is amazing! And it is hardcore truth!
Hi Joshua! Your poem is so powerful. It brought me to tears for so many reasons and I’ve shared it many times. Did you reach the author? I wonder if you could somehow be paid for this poem?
K.
Nice Article. Amazing poem! Outstanding Author!!
It is galling that the verb ‘fussed’ is used as if the the teacher is snotty or unreasonable. We are teaching our charges to transcend their circumstances and this poem feeds the victim mentality.
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!