I came across this poem from a student who left a traditional high school.
We are so quick to judge and label those who don't meet our expected values and expectations.
Since I have become the principal of Lincoln High School, my students have taught me more in five years than I learned in my first 22 years of education.
My students are the most accepting and nonjudgmental students I have ever had the privilege to teach or serve as a building principal. However, when they walk down the street, they become the judged and the labeled.
I believe there is a powerful message in this poem -- we get a chance to peek into the heart of a student who just wants to be accepted.
Coming Together
We all came from one place,
But still, nobody wanted to accept us…
We understood each other and
Accepted everybody’s differences.
Yet we were still pushed away.
We came to this school and
Instead of being many, We became one.
Hattie Smith
Alternative Student
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