Exposure usually has negative connotations for me. I think of the time I wound up in a hospital during my college days for third degree sunburn caused by falling asleep while sunbathing in the Oklahoma sun. That lesson was learned quickly. There were other experiences that taught me to monitor exposure to harsh wind chills, rip-currents, and falling chiggers from wet Missouri tree branches in the Ozarks.
I had to stop and reconsider the positive aspects of this topic when I was given it. Yes, as an educator, I do expose students to as many experiences as I can possibly conceive and afford. I know that especially for gifted students, such exposure is usually necessary for them to try anything new and different. However, once they have had a safe introduction to a brand new area of life, the creative juices usually start flowing and many successful experiences follow for them.
On the other hand, I have to remind myself of that same experience I’m providing them, and I must be game for them to give me exposure to things from their modern world! This is especially true for technology. It will absolutely make my first graders happy when they see me go to my phone to look up information instead of grabbing the encyclopedia!
But there are still things I regret seeing my students exposed to everyday. I hate four letter messages on cars…my beginning readers are always trying to read signs… Ditto for shameless t-shirts worn by people who should know better! I hate the exposure TV ads give to everyone about every kind of sexual aid and bodily disfunction on planet Earth. Yes, I know I can just reach over and turn them off. However, my students do not usually have control of the TV remote…so garbage in and then garbage out as the old saying goes. In the meantime, I just keep talking to my young students about the fact that it takes so little to be above average in our world. Then I encourage them to choose the higher ground and better path to travel throughout life.
- Kay