We Are All Stars Who Deserve To Twinkle

Some moments in your childhood tend to stick out more than others.

I can distinctly recall a day in First Grade. Standing in line against the wall in our classroom waiting for my turn to find out what I was going to be in the annual school Christmas play.

I was going to be one of the angels---at least that’s what I was praying for that day. When it was my turn to tell Miss Powers what I wanted to be, I proudly said ‘angel’. The response was something I will never forget. She asked me to repeat one of the lines Mrs. Claus was going to say instead. What followed next was pure genius on my part, or so I thought. I purposely messed up the lines while trying to repeat them back because in that moment there was no way I was going to be Mrs. Claus---not when there were at least five angel spots open. She asked me to say them again, to which I did my best to get them as incorrect as possible.

The exchange left me crying while standing in line as Miss Powers announced that I would be Mrs. Claus. The decision had been made and there was nothing I could do about it.

At 6 years old I couldn’t possibly comprehend why I wasn’t chosen to be an angel, especially since a very close relationship with Miss Powers had formed in the short span of September to November. A relationship not many students can say they have with their teachers.

It is only as I grew older that I realized the decision for me to be Mrs. Claus was made long before I stood there that day waiting to make my choice…

She saw something in me that I couldn’t possibly see in myself at that impressionable age. A little girl who would be able to read and memorize the most lines aside from Santa.

So, what did that choice mean for all the other girls in that first grade class? The opportunity to be the star of the play was not even an option for them. None of those other girls went home that day and said they were able to try out for Mrs. Claus. None of them would ever have that memory.

How does this play out in the grand scheme of things? While it may never be the intent, to me it says plain and simple…inequality in education.

We send our children to school with the expectation that they will be treated the same as every other student. That they will be given the same opportunities to excel and shine. That their educators will ensure that each individual is treated fairly.

When this doesn’t happen, the repercussions can be long-lasting. Did other students notice the close relationship I had established with Miss Powers? Was it obvious to some of the other girls that I was going to be the lead in the play? Were there others who wished they could be Mrs. Claus, but didn’t even get the chance to say her lines? These things I will never know. What I do know is that while the treatment I received can be seen as loving and caring, it is also a testament to the inequalities that we often see in education. When a child’s level of intelligence goes beyond expectations, we often see educators leaning on these students to be the leaders for others, giving them more responsibilities and also allowing them more freedom. The unfortunate side effect of that is an instant separation, a division of intellect. This is evident when we put students in separate reading groups or the like; signaling that even though they are all students, their needs might be met best by this division.

Is this separation really necessary? Children learn from a very young age that they are often divided by their level of intellect. What if this division, this separation, never existed? What if every single educator treated every student the same, regardless of how special a particular student may be?

What if every single girl in my first grade class had the opportunity to say Mrs. Claus’ lines that day? Would a different star emerge with a powerful voice? Would Miss Powers go home that day and have to decide which girl out of every girl should have that opportunity? Would someone’s life have been different if one individual had not been singled out for a specific role in the play? These are all things I think about and more importantly, are things that are extremely significant in our modern-day education system.

These inequalities, albeit minor to some, can have both positive and negative long-term effects on our youth. The lack of opportunities for some versus infinite opportunities for others. The reality is that this is happening in education everywhere. Not so much favoritism, but more of a hierarchy of aptitude. The idea that little Johnny would be able to make the school play sound even better if he had the lead role because of his ability to memorize lines versus allowing little Bobby who still struggles to read take the lead instead. Educators are faced with these decisions daily and unfortunately, more often than not, you will see a push to give opportunities to the ones who can make it happen.

I can’t help but think back to that year in first grade.

If you were ever to ask me who my favorite teacher was, I will always say Miss Powers. Even in hindsight, I can say without reservation that she was one of a kind. The decisions she made as an educator came from years and years of teaching experience, lending itself to a foundation of thinking that there are differences in the academic abilities of children. This was no fault of hers, but of an ingrained way of thinking in education that came long before her time.

So for that, I do not blame her for picking me to be the lead in that play. She was doing what she had learned to do for so many years as a teacher.

I do believe that we have the power to change that way of thinking. That educators can come into their schools with the idea that each and every student has an equal opportunity to thrive. That while some students may hold a special place in our hearts, we owe it to all growing minds to give them the same opportunities that we give to everyone regardless of how we feel about them…because we are all stars who deserve to twinkle.

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