A teacher’s list of words prohibited in her classroom has gone viral, and social media is divided on whether or not the memo was helpful or racist.
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“If you are caught using these words, you will write a short essay explaining why you chose to use these words in an academic setting to express yourselves,” the teacher writes before listing the 32 words considered off limits. “Please know that using slang in an academic setting can diminish your capability to become a successful writer.”
“Bruh,” “standing on business,” “on my momma” and the 2023 Oxford Word of the Year, “rizz” — a shortened version of “charisma” — are just a few of the frowned upon words and phrases on a list the teacher says is “subject to change. It’s also important to note that the “N-word” is featured at number 21.
“This is an educational institution and you will carry yourselves as scholars in my classroom,” the teacher wrote.
The teacher’s race is unclear in any of the discussions online. But social media was quick to fire back, accusing the list of being anti-Black and the teacher of attempting to extinguish the student’s freedom of speech.
“She’s on a power trip & and doesn’t value the language of her students. She is more concerned with compliance than learning about her students, because she does not value her students’ identities,” wrote one commenter on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Others believe the teacher simply wants to set the students up for success by encouraging good grammar in the classroom.
“I agree with this method (not all of the words, though) & I’m not sorry. Kids don’t know when to use this language & this will teach them to think before they speak, know time & place for everything, & to respect adults,” wrote another commenter on X.
Yes, kids should know that there is a time and a place for slang, but punishment is not an appropriate response to self-expression. Some of the most celebrated books in American literature include African American Vernacular English (AAVE), including Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” and Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.”
Oh, and white people do it too. If you don’t believe me, all you have to do is pick up a copy of “The Catcher in the Rye.” I dare someone try to say J.D. Salinger’s use of slang diminished his capability to become a successful writer.
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