I’ve had a lot of trouble writing my thoughts recently; this being the third time I’ve attempted to do so. Over the past year, I’ve waited 48 hours before reacting to a viral news story.

In the age of publish now, fact-check later, it’s hard to tell the competence level of the journalist… or the ambition of the media outlet they work for. What stays consistent is the knee-jerk, extreme reactions of people.

However, this past week has been a cascade of events and I don’t even know where to start:

Pandemic, death, racism, riots, elderly homes and hey, the US sent astronauts into space again.

As a teacher, I have a position of influence and opportunity to engage young people. Students have acknowledged my class is tough because I force them to think (coincidentally, I’m also an easy marker), but they also know when it comes to racism, sexism or homophobia—there is no grey area in my class.

There are no warnings either. Get up, get out.

I’m fearless and direct about the subject because I have to. We’re beyond tiptoeing, using inferences from outdated texts and gently acknowledging its reality. Today’s world puts it in our face and to not have their teacher speak about it insinuates I’m either ignorant or ignoring it.

As much as possible, I do my best to make sure all my students see themselves in the curriculum… regardless of what I’m teaching.

My goal for teaching has always been to get students to engage with the world, be an active part of it and think for themselves.

But I always ask—is it enough?

What value are students getting?

It’s tough to infer their immediate responses and sometimes it’s an uphill battle against a home environment, but I have to keep trying.

My biggest fear isn’t they will one day be in one of those gut-wrenching, viral videos (although I will be saddened if they are), but they will be a bystander who did nothing.

Then there’s this pandemic, which has brought people to their tipping point.

Emotions are high and the thin veil holding society together is ripping. We are living through a paradigm shift and the uncertainty of tomorrow is overwhelming.

But, within that uncertainty is opportunity.

An opportunity to build the future we want, and we must do it because we have to.

Otherwise, someone will build the future for us and we’ll be no better than where we are now.