Like the frog who sat in the water as the temperature approached the boiling point, the changes in education have come so gradually that it has been easy for me to paddle around in the hot water and ignore the dangerous trends. Let's eliminate a recess to have more time for math, implement benchmark testing three times a year, evaluate teachers based on student-growth data from a single bubble test, add a few extra desks so there's no room for the reading nook, spend more time in mandated trainings, and teach to the everchanging standards instead of the students. Who decided that every fifth grader should "Interpret the product (a/b) × q as a parts of a partition of q into b equal parts; equivalently, as the result of a sequence of operations a × q ÷ b?" (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.B.4.A) Over-regulation has taken away teachers' autonomy, and our students are suffering because of it. Just think, what do you remember from school?
I remember Mrs. Copper's love for nature, the boxes of Ranger Rick magazines on her shelves, and the classroom gerbil that I cared for over the summer. I remember playing Red Rover at recess, learning to Chinese jump rope, and competing in classroom Jacks and Chess tournaments. I remember the menagerie of papier-mache animals from Mr. Kehl's art class, school plays with Mr. Grimm, Mr. Wunderle's broken test tubes, and Soundsations' practices with Mr. Friedrich. We didn't just play, though. We worked hard, too. I typed that term paper into the wee hours of the morning and got extra help on those nasty geometry proofs. The difference was that we had balance then. There used to be time to work hard and play hard. Now, the excessive regulations are forcing us to be constantly moving toward the "standards." No wonder your children dread going to school every day. They are being herded like cattle through a one-size-fits-all, Common Core, achievement chute that assumes that all students must meet some standard called "college-ready." Trust me, teachers don't like these trends either, but it is hard to fight the stampede.
I remember Mrs. Copper's love for nature, the boxes of Ranger Rick magazines on her shelves, and the classroom gerbil that I cared for over the summer. I remember playing Red Rover at recess, learning to Chinese jump rope, and competing in classroom Jacks and Chess tournaments. I remember the menagerie of papier-mache animals from Mr. Kehl's art class, school plays with Mr. Grimm, Mr. Wunderle's broken test tubes, and Soundsations' practices with Mr. Friedrich. We didn't just play, though. We worked hard, too. I typed that term paper into the wee hours of the morning and got extra help on those nasty geometry proofs. The difference was that we had balance then. There used to be time to work hard and play hard. Now, the excessive regulations are forcing us to be constantly moving toward the "standards." No wonder your children dread going to school every day. They are being herded like cattle through a one-size-fits-all, Common Core, achievement chute that assumes that all students must meet some standard called "college-ready." Trust me, teachers don't like these trends either, but it is hard to fight the stampede.
To top it off, schools must navigate a legal labyrinth and parental backlash to discipline students who hijack instructional time or threaten student safety. Let's have a meeting, devise a plan, track data points, and reassess progress in a few months. In the meantime, deal with it. So much has changed! Gone are the days when a teacher's disciplinary note was just the beginning of consequences at home. I remember when my eighth-grade teacher called my parents. Life as I knew it ended! There was never a question of whether I was guilty because my parents understood that a busy teacher would not contact them unless I was the problem! Not anymore. Today, I contact parents with apprehension. I have come to expect parents will deny, minimize, and excuse their child's misbehavior. My calls are often met with responses like, "She says you don't like her" or "my friends at the baseball diamond said that you were mean." If the child isn't doing homework--your expectations are too high. Disobedience--you have a personality conflict. Bullying--my child says you made this up. Student misbehavior is redirected to teachers, and we open ourselves up to social slander on Facebook anytime we reach out. We have become parents' scapegoats. No wonder teachers are leaving the profession in hordes!
But, my memories give me an advantage. They are a point-of-reference, a compass, that helps me make daily decisions in my classroom based on a broader view of education. And so, I try to ignore the boiling water around me and teach the way I know is right. I try to prioritize students over state standards and refuse to spend hours of precious class time in preparation for arbitrary state assessments. Despite some parents' objections, I still set high standards for student behavior because I understand that adults with self-control live happier lives. And even after parents have been rude and hateful, I consciously choose to encourage and support every child. But, it isn't easy. I go to school every day because I still believe that teachers make a difference. I believe in education. And I pray that educational policy-makers will turn down the heat before it is too late.
But, my memories give me an advantage. They are a point-of-reference, a compass, that helps me make daily decisions in my classroom based on a broader view of education. And so, I try to ignore the boiling water around me and teach the way I know is right. I try to prioritize students over state standards and refuse to spend hours of precious class time in preparation for arbitrary state assessments. Despite some parents' objections, I still set high standards for student behavior because I understand that adults with self-control live happier lives. And even after parents have been rude and hateful, I consciously choose to encourage and support every child. But, it isn't easy. I go to school every day because I still believe that teachers make a difference. I believe in education. And I pray that educational policy-makers will turn down the heat before it is too late.
