Veterans Day

Tomorrow is Veterans Day in our country.  By the way, Facebook reminded me of this.

Seems like a reasonable moment in the year to have an open discussion about the American Flag, what it represents, and what we are doing and saying when we recite the Pledge of the Allegiance.

I teach 12 and 13 year old kids.  I don't know how aware I was of The Flag when I was in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.  It was there.  We said The Pledge, yet it seems sometimes like a piece of furniture, like it just sort of comes with the classroom along with the desks.

I'm not saying that the conversation needs to turn into a lecture, but it will be interesting to note if my kids have anything, any thoughts, any reaction to the American Flag or the The Pledge.  I wonder if their thoughts will turn to war and the many men who fought under it, or the ideals the country has stood for, or maybe what they've learned in social studies classes along the way.  Is it going to be an "oh by the way" thing for the kids or will some walk out thinking a little differently about The Flag and The Pledge.  They're kids.  They can react and respond in any number of ways.

Between going to school myself and now going on to my 16th year of teaching I've probably said The Pledge of Allegiance at least 5,000 times.  I know of one day where I've spoken it about it to my classes. The second day is here.