Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is generally characterized by sparse, syncopated rhythmic patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub-bass frequencies. The style emerged as an offshoot of UK garage, drawing on a lineage of related styles such as 2-step, dub reggae, jungle, broken beat, and grime. In the United Kingdom the origins of the genre can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene in the early 1980s. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubstep

I included a brief explanation of dubstep because it aligns with this post. Words often used to describe dubstep songs are nasty, filthy, and grimy. Usually, the more sub-bass elements, the grimier the song. Sometimes, I just happen to be in the mood for a ridiculously grimy song (this song, not too grimy… take a listen back at ‘Swagga’ for a little more grime).

Anyway, the first day of school is approaching quickly, and class rosters are being distributed. I have to admit that I’m a little salty about this, because I remember being a classroom teacher and not getting my roster until hours before Meet the Teacher some years. At any rate, with the receipt of class rosters, there is sure to be the research on students via recounts of former teachers. Well, this is me begging you not to give up on a kid before you even get to know them.

Hopefully none of your new batch has had teachers who would describe them using the words I used to illustrate dubstep, but it’s possible one or two may use be characterized some words that aren’t far off: bad, horrible, impossible. That was then, this is now. There are a multitude of reasons why that child may have been the way they were for that teacher: a period of turmoil in the home, a medical situation, difficulty with content, or maybe they just didn’t jive with the teacher. We all go through seasons in our lives, and maybe that kid wasn’t having a great one. Here’s another thought–maybe that teacher wasn’t having a great one.

You may notice towards the end of the featured song, there is a reprieve from the tempo and filthy deep bass. Could it be that this year that kid who had a rough time last year enters into a season of growth and success? Could you be the one that helps to straighten their path or rewrite their story?

I challenge you, if you are a teacher receiving a new group of kids this year, to greet each child at the classroom door that first day of school. Look deep in their eyes and remember this song. As you hug them or shake their hand, listen carefully for their silent plea, “Don’t give up on me.”

Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be. -Rita Pierson