I just completed my 27th year of teaching—move over, LeBron—and my 20th at St. Ignatius College Prep. People often ask me what the biggest change I've seen in students over the years has been. Most assume they already know the answer, and there is some truth in their assumptions. But my answer may differ from that of many educators. And, listening to Tom Brady's commencement address at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business only reinforced my thinking. Watch it. Give it a listen and let me know what you think—or keep reading and let's talk.
For some context, many in my department will suggest that teaching Religious Studies feels increasingly more like teaching a foreign language. While recent news has highlighted a rise in Mass attendance among young Americans, especially those between 18 and 29, my experience in the classroom suggests another reality: each year, many students arrive in theology class with less religious formation, less catechesis, and fewer encounters with the life of faith. But sadly, this has always been the case for me and my experience.
Ask most educators what has changed, and they will point to social media, the proliferation of smartphones, and the ubiquity of iPads and personal computers as the chief drivers of change among today's students. There is certainly truth in that assessment. Each technology offers its own powerful distractions, and the intended and unintended consequences are evident: shorter attention spans and increased difficulty sustaining focus. Students do not read the way they once did. I've said it myself—there are books I once taught with confidence that would be far more difficult to teach today. Indeed, every era has its challenges, and the newest—and perhaps most consequential—is unfolding as I type this: how to use A.I. in the classroom.
Yet none of these developments capture my sentiment on change. I suppose it is because the shift I have noticed is not technological but cultural. It is revealed in both formal and informal settings. Social scientists would note it is reflected in both high and low culture. To me, one of the bigger changes in my time teaching is the widespread acceptance and use of profanity.
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| Is the "F" necessary?! |
That is why Tom Brady's commencement address caught my attention. I was not surprised that Georgetown invited him to speak. He is, after all, one of the most accomplished athletes of his generation. I was, however, surprised by how casually he employed profanity throughout his remarks. Early on he quips, "I had a coach for 20 years tell me how sh***y I was every day." Sports fans know that Bill Belichick could be demanding, but I was not expecting that language in a commencement address delivered before graduates, parents, faculty, and administrators from the get go. But that example is soft.
Brady's broader message is actually quite traditional: embrace hard things, develop resilience, and never quit. The profanity appears sparingly and serves to make his stories sound less scripted and more like the language athletes often use in competitive settings. In fact he even uses that as an excuse for what caught me most by surprise.
His recollection of Super Bowl LI was riveting. I loved the way he played with the percentages. I kept thinking what we all thought in 2017: What though the odds...?! Brady lets us in on his inner monologue as he leads his team back from a 28-3 deficit. He tells himself "Don't be a little b****. Go out there and fight your ass off." Had I been in that audience, I would have looked at the reaction of others. Would anyone else question the word choice? It's honest. It's raw. It's authentic, but is it appropriate in this setting? He does offer a disclaimer, "I was an athlete, so you might feel like you're in a locker room a little bit." But graduation is a far cry from a locker room.
I could be wrong, but twenty years ago, the language might have overshadowed the message. Today, I can't help but wonder if it only registers with me because of the household I grew up in. Movies could be rated "R" because of language alone. I wasn't allowed to see them. Today, I hear it on the radio, it is common in our student fine arts productions, such as plays, musicals and our comedy show. That, more than the profanity itself, is what I find noteworthy.
My students will drop swear words into class discussion. Sometimes, they will self correct and other times I do that for them. While I rarely see it in their essays or writing, it is part of their music and social media.But, I hear profanity the most is in the hallways and among casual conversations. SI is next to a public middle school. I hear sixth graders through seniors use it without any regard to those around them. For example, my office sits at a crossroads where students sit and walk by during passing periods. Not a week goes by when and where either my colleague or I have to confront a student about their language. The unapologetic use of the "F" word—as a adjective and a verb is prolific. I've been told that it is the akin to how the word "damn it" was used in the past. Not okay.
Sometimes people will say, "Wow, at a Catholic school—your students speak like this?" While I appreciate the notion that we hold our students to a high standard—and we do—profanity is woven throughout our culture. It is part of our common lexicon, whether I like it or not.
When I hear it at SI, I do make an effort to address it. We have expectations for young people regarding how they conduct themselves, what they wear, and the words they choose. Language has power. It shapes both the speaker and the listener in ways seen and unseen and we are a community that seeks to share common values. Respect is one of them.
Is there a time and a place for strong language? Perhaps. I'm not going to pretend like I don't use it in my own life. I have dropped F-bombs on the golf course and at sporting events. I've used foul language in front of my friend's children. I don't use it in class, but I would be lying if I said it has never slipped out. Indeed, there are certainly moments of intense emotion, frustration, pain, humor, or camaraderie when people will argue that it serves a purpose. My concern is not with the occasional exception. It is with the disappearance of the distinction. When language once reserved for exceptional moments, becomes commonplace, something is lost. Words matter because they are not all the same and that is why we invite exceptional people, icons of excellence to share their own. I would like for the language we use to reflect that. Let's go...
NB: I've read reports on the psychological effects of foul language. It's interesting because the findings do not show that profanity is simply harmful or simply harmless. Rather, it appears to have several psychological effects that depend heavily on context. I still don't want it at Commencement
Photo Credits
Georgetown
LFG
ATL