“At No. 6, between Rebecca Black and Tim Tebow, was Tyler Clementi, whose death ‘was a critical reminder that, even when we disagree with someone’s choices or lifestyle, we must always treat that person with respect, dignity, and compassion’” (“The Story of a Suicide,” Parker, 38).

The rich content of this week’s reading made it quite difficult to select a most valuable passage; I chose the aforementioned overarching message. This raw, detailed version of Tyler’s story was touching and thought-provoking, leading me to conclude that, whether Ravi’s deplorable actions were based on bias or adolescent foolishness and inability to weigh the consequences, this statement is the main takeaway that parents and teachers are responsible for helping children and adolescents to internalize. The article caused me to wonder: Ravi aside, if Tyler had made better connections with teachers and supportive environments in high school and during his college transition, could this tragedy have been prevented? What could have been done differently to ease this transition? I wonder if some of his earlier teachers, upon hearing of his suicide, felt guilt and responsibility to some degree, even if they knew they gave him all they could. Next, in Raible and Nieto’s “Beyond Categories,” I understand that we cannot silence the conversations and need to support marginalized students, and that universities are getting better about preparing teachers in that regard, but I am pondering what I need to do to get to the point where I feel confident talking about identities with which I have little experience. I believe that these students need particular strength from us, but also that some form of adolescent struggle exists for all: I enjoyed hearing what middle schoolers have to say about their current experiences and look forward to employing the “Some Things We Want to Know on the First Day” questions (“Everything Is Off Balance,” Cushman and Rogers, 34) in a future class.