Well the teaching profession has another black eye today thanks to the shockingly poor judgement of a 7th grade teacher in Texas.

In the time-honored tradition of end of the year awards, teacher Stacey Lockett gave what can only be described as ridiculously offensive mock certificates to two of her students. One student received a “Most Likely to Become a Terrorist” award, while another received a “Most Likely to Blend in With White People” certificate.
Yes, you read that right. A professional educator in 2017 thought that labeling adolescent students with racial and/or ethnic slurs would be a light hearted way to end the school year. The principal of Anthony Aguirre Junior High in Houston said that the awards in question were not representative of the vision and mission of the school. No kidding.
While clearly this teacher’s actions are not indicative of the vast majority of educators, it is a bitter reminder of how a lack (or lapse) of judgement can have far-reaching consequences for a teacher, and sadly, also for her students.