On My Level

I am progressively becoming more comfortable wearing my uniform in public and have started to 'not see' the looks or stares from other people. Today I went for sushi with an old high school friend. He was shocked to see me in my uniform after two years and just burst out laughing. Obviously everyone turned to look and this made me want to melt under a table and hide.

I asked him how he views students, both in and out of uniform and if this was different to how he views young people out of school. His response was like nothing I had heard from anyone else. He said no he does not treat or view students differently because he remembers being where they are and what it was like to be a student. He emphasises with how students struggle to be taken seriously both in and out of uniform. Everyone else I have spoken to has said that students are 'different' but here is an 'ex' student saying that they are no different, people just assume they are.

By giving students labels and setting the bar so low for their manners and behaviour, we are not giving students much to strive for and don't give them the chance to show us they are no different from anyone else and should be treated accordingly. Students are not always to blame, it is our own prejudgements towards them.

#Students #Young #Sushi #Manners #Uniform