BELONGING
WITHOUT
COMPETING
By Thomas Kaup
Thomas Kaup recently
completed his 30th year
of teaching at Auburn
High School, Auburn,
Washington. Kaup has
advised and taught in
Nebraska, Iowa and
Washington. Kaup is
the co-author of Middle
School Journalism, a
textbook published
by Teaching-Point.
net. Kaup founded the
Magnet journalism
program at Alice Buffett
Magnet Middle School
in Omaha, Nebraska.
Kaup was selected
as the Washington
Journalism Adviser of
the Year in 2014 and has
written articles for Herff
Jones and Walsworth
yearbook magazines.
Kaup advises Trojan
Journalism at Auburn
High School, which
produces the Troy
InVoice and Invader
yearbook.
I
refused to collect
money for Relay for Life
during my sixth-period
class. I am not opposed
to their work, far from it. I
have a dormant, at least for
now, tumor in my left kidney.
I call him Pepe, after the
name I took in my seventh
grade Spanish class. He has
a lease for the basement
apartment down there,
single bedroom efficiency,
until he begins to grow. Then
I will have to evict him. So
far, he has been a fairly quiet
and well-mannered tenant.
I refused to collect money
because I abhor asking my
students for cash when I
know most of them have
little to none. I know some
of them will give up their
lunch money, some will just
look down and ignore the
hat going around, while a
few others can pull an easy
five or ten out of their wallet
and toss it in. I am always
aware of the kid who is on
the outside. I never want that
student to be uncomfortable
about anything in my
class, especially about the
economic reality they live in.
There is no shame in being
poor. There is a lot of shame
reminding someone that
they are.
The teacher sponsoring the
event came to my room after
receiving my email message.
We spoke for a few minutes
and then she said, “Wow,
you are a fierce advocate for
your students. I really admire
that.” I also admire her work
to raise money for a good
cause. Other teachers here
do it, and I am glad that they
do. I just cannot live with
myself if I thought one kid
might sit there and get yet
another reminder of how
poor they are. I just won’t
do it.
My goal as a journalism
adviser and active member
in state and national
journalism organizations
is simple: I am going to be
a fierce advocate for my
program. Being a fierce
advocate means I will make
some hard choices for my
kids, just like any parent
would. I will not subject
them to more reminders of
how little they have, or how
they differ from the kids
from families with means.
I will not take the three or
four of them who have the
extra money and means to
a convention or conference,
while the program picks up
my fee as a chaperone, and
leave the bulk of them back
home. Yes, we can apply
for scholarships or reduced
fees. For some reason, that
galls me, as well. It just
makes the whole point even
more obvious. Plus, what do
we do once we get to the
wonderful world of Disney?
It obviously takes even more
money to be admitted to the
happiest place on Earth.