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"If they could have been taught to value differences....."

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"If they could have been taught to value differences....."

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To me, this quote is reflective of the significance of our class this semester. Why can't we learn to celebrate, value and embrace differences? Why do differences sometimes become disparaged and looked upon as negatives?

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By all accounts, Nate Bazemore seemed like the happiest kid in the world. He was an honor roll student who had a new puppy named Cinnamon and family and friends who loved him.

But on Monday, the 12-year-old died from what police described as a "self-inflicted gunshot wound."

"He was their only child and our only grandchild, so of course we're devastated beyond belief," his grandmother Myra Buxton Bazemore Nixon said. "He was the coolest kid ever. He loved life and he was the most tender-hearted child I ever met."

Nate was a seventh-grader at Flat Rock Middle School who loved computers, reading and was already looking at college scholarships. He loved making videos and was working on his own video game.

His father was like his best friend and they had many hobbies in common, spending a good chunk of their time together, Nixon said.

Out of grief, his parents, Sean and Noquita Bazemore, haven't been able to return to their house at Village Park Court in southern Winston-Salem where their son was found with a gunshot wound to the head Monday afternoon.

The medical coroner declined to release any preliminary autopsy information Friday, deferring to law enforcement.

Police said investigators will not make an official ruling on the cause of death until forensic evidence returns. Police said at this time there isn't evidence to say whether the shooting was accidental or intentional.

"The investigation indicates this was a self-inflicted wound," said Lt. Mike Cardwell. "We will continue our investigation until there is no other doubt."

There are no charges.

Nate's grandmother believes the child's death was an accident as he had always shown an aversion to guns and once helped a friend overcome suicidal thoughts.

He was a kind-hearted individual with an eternal smile pasted on his face who always showed an inner strength to stand up for other children, she said.

"A few months ago, one of Nate's friends said he was going to kill himself and Nate helped the friend get help," Nixon said in stating her belief that Nate's death wasn't a suicide. "He thought it was the most ridiculous thing that anyone would want to leave their families."

The family spoke on the condition that Nate's story would help educate parents and children and prevent other families from experiencing the devastation they are going through, they said.

The family had a handgun in the house for safety because Nate's father works third-shift and isn't always home at night, Nixon said. She said Nate hated being around guns.

"Bad things happen accidentally to great kids and great parents," Nixon said. "We just want parents to practice extreme safety precautions with their kids and teach their children proper gun use, even if they seem disinterested."

An autopsy report should be available in the coming weeks.

Family members talked candidly about issues and pressures that Nate faced in school, hoping his death could be a springboard for helping bring light to the issue of bullying.

Nixon said her grandson was bullied since kindergarten - for being interracial, for his glasses, even for being smart. Although it helped shape him into a strong person, she believes it was unrelated to his death.

"What happened to Nathaniel didn't have to do with bullying, but he put up with a lot of it in his life," she said. "The kids that bullied my grandson from the time he started school didn't realize they made him into a strong young man. If they had been taught to value differences instead of disparaging them, they could've had a friend for life."

Parents took to social media to express their heartbreak.

"The child was a friend of my son's. I'm at an absolute loss and he is devastated," Siv Ri posted on Facebook. "He just keeps saying his friend was smiling and happy and is looking to me for answers and I have none."

Others echoed the disbelief of the loss of such a beautiful person gone so young.

"(My daughter) is so upset and I don't even know where to begin to try and help her understand something that I as an adult don't even understand," parent Heather Smith said.

Regardless of the cause of Nate's death, people should seek support if needed, mental health expert Andy Hagler said.

"Being that he was 12 years old and still in school, he has classmates, friends, teachers and that ripple effect will be felt widely," he said.

The school offered resources for students earlier this week, but officials could not be reached for comment. The school district confirmed there was a death of a student. A school system spokesman declined further comment.

"I really miss my baby Nate but he's up in heaven now with God and my mom," Nate's mother posted on Facebook.

Nixon started a GoFundMe page to help Nate's parents pay for funeral expenses. The page has already garnered more than $5,000 and has a goal of $10,000.

The funeral service will be held Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Goler Memorial AME Zion Church on Patterson Avenue.

In the photo attached to the fundraising page, Nate is the picture of innocence with his unruly curls, glasses and infectious grin as he holds up the peace sign.

That's the way Nixon plans to remember him.

"I'm going to miss his laugh, his sense of humor. I'll miss him calling me 'Meemaw' and his smile," she said. "The outpouring of love this week has just made me understand how many people loved him."

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Family, friends 'devastated' by loss of 12-year-old

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By all accounts, Nate Bazemore seemed like the happiest kid in the world. He was an honor roll student who had a new puppy named Cinnamon and family and friends who loved him. But on Monday, the 12-year-old died from what police described as a "self-inflicted gunshot wound."

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Principals should co-create anti bullying and suicide prevention policies and protocols with staff and students. Parents should also be involved and receive education and training about bullying (cyber as well) and suicide prevention and intervention.  Positive parental behaviors  behaviors are associated with decreased   bullying. (Wang, et al., 2009).
Schools can offer character education and social skills advisories that promote empathy and positive peer conflict resolution.

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I really enjoyed this assignment. I found it very interesting to read my classmate's wordles and see the reactions to my own. It made me happy that others got a positive feeling of optimism and a sense of honesty and personal reflection as they read mine.
The focus of my wordle was on students, learning differences, thinking and appreciating effort.

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Diversity Mural I found while doing my "Observation Experience."

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Diversity Mural I found while doing my "Observation Experience."

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Develop conversational fluency within 2 years from initial exposure

Develop academic language proficiency within 5-7 years when compared to a native speaker of the same age

How can teachers help?

1.Allow ELL students direct and frequent opportunities to interact with people who are fluent in English.
2.Let ELL students work in small groups
3.Encourage ELL students to work with peers who are linguistically proficient to assist ELL students in their own development of the language.

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"But That's Just Good Teaching!"
Gloria Ladson-Billings' article really made me realize even more so how important it is for students to feel that the lessons in which they participate are relevant and reflective of their own culture.

As an English Language Arts Teacher I can be culturally responsive by:
1.Utilizing literature and anthologies that represent different cultures
2.Integrating music (possibly rap) into the writing of poetry
3.Let students express thoughts/feelings through art
4.Use interdisciplinary lessons to tie in with other classes
5.Allow my students to write in their "home language" then translate to grammatically correct English