I knew teaching at an inner-city middle school in Harlem would always raise eyebrows. I kind of like when people look at me - a skinny, fair, white girl from Texas - and incredulously say, “You? In Harlem?” It’s like they’ve just found out I’m a secret agent or ninja or nutcase.
I am all of those things.
Sometimes the job even raises my own eyebrows. I like to think I’ve seen a lot in the world, and I have definitely seen enough that I don’t pass out when I hear students reciting what seems to be the dialogue of a pornographic film. And from gangsta flicks? Forget it, I’m so over that. There, of course, was that one time that I heard a boy and girl say something so filthy that I froze in my tracks as I walked my homeroom class to lunch. I had to tell myself to pick my jaw off the floor.
My students haven’t taught me too many new vulgarities, but I have learned some new slang. For example, “wildin’” and “fienin”.” They both mean “to act crazy.” “Fienin’” comes from “fiending,” as in “drug fiend.” Students also say “beastin’,” particularly referring to a teacher that tries to establish order in the classroom. Another great verb is “OD’in,’” which refers to any excessive behavior, not strictly limited to a teacher assigning too much homework or classwork or having overt class expectations and procedures. Students say the word “mad” before every other word possible. “Yo, I failed mad classes last year, yo!” And Devlin, a real prize pupil, said a pair of shoes I wore last week was “buttah,” which, of course, means “cool” or “slick.”
Hmmm…I can’t think of anything else at the moment. Aight. I’m out.
