”words are like stones”-Stop Bullying

    Today we have an excerpt from a new book of Roy Dimond and his friend Jeff Leitch

Saving our Pennys which will be released late in November

,,Set in the fast paced, ultra busy world of multi tasking, schools are an eruption of both heroes and victims.  One teacher, feeling overwhelmed, chooses to look beyond himself and seek a mentor, someone to show him another way.  But as is the nature of all redemption stories, he must earn the divine and that always leads to the unexpected.  On his twisting journey from victim to hero, he meets the Ferryman, a Gatekeeper, and ultimately his true Spirit Guide”.

EXCERPT – how one of the students see words – words are like stones

,,Penny is explaining to her teacher. “One reason I don’t talk much in class is because words are very sacred. Words are like stones. People carry the words that others give them. In your pockets, little pebbles in your ears, as well as big boulders in your socks, stones everywhere, all sizes and shapes. You become very heavy and tire easily. It’s hard to move, and you soon lose the ability to fly. A person must be light so that they can fly to their dreams.”

The teacher asks, “So you’re saying that one’s words have an impact?”

Penny responds. “Words have weight. You can place some by the side of the road so you can fly, or let others anchor you to the ground so you can’t move. You may also keep only chosen ones, so you have balance. These stones help guide you. You can use them to build bridges or walls. The stones you choose to keep, throw away, or pass on, impact the weight of yourself and others.”

The teacher then adds. “This would mean that you and your words exist solidly. Interesting.”

Penny responds with pure humility. “Yes.”

Unfortunately, I could not recall who the teacher was.

For a brief shining moment, I have an epiphany. It lasts but a moment and then is gone, but the effect will last my lifetime. I stop running and for no apparent reason start to cry. I sob like the student who told me he could not go on, and hated life”. I actually fall onto my knees — or more accurately, my legs buckle.

Beside me I see my shadow, also on its knees. Its tears look like river rocks tumbling over each other as they submit to gravity and rain to the ground. I watch in amazement while small piles of stones begin to form at my feet. As the great slide of pebbles, rocks, and boulders fall, my shadow loses definition. It is as if every word, every syllable, ever said to me is being examined. Suddenly, my twin anchors of dread and guilt simply blow on down the road.

I feel lighter, and ideas clarify. I recall how the conversation ends between teacher and student. I can finally see that the teacher is my Scottish colleague. He says to Penny, “Thanks for sharing this with me. Now I understand a little better why you are so quiet. It must be hard for you, with me always asking you to speak up in class.”

She answers. “Yes.”

The teacher ends by saying, “Once again, I’ve learned so much from you today. Thanks, Penny.”

The only stone she lays at his feet is one small pebble. “Yes.”

My epiphany is simple. I have never seen a teacher learn from a student before. Yet for them it appears to be an everyday conversation. ”

Related articles

• What Happens When ‘Telling The Teacher’ Work? (gabrielleonyemnyem.wordpress.com)
• Behind the Scenes: Things teachers don’t know about bullying (fromear2ear.wordpress.com)
• Humiliation, taping mouths and tying up students: Are we going to stop teachers from bullying students? (theglobaldispatch.com)
• Confronting the Bullies (willswardstrom.wordpress.com)
• When Everything is Bullying, Nothing is Bullying (theaxisofego.com)
• Allegory of the Educator (dry-erase-me.org)