No Teacher Left Standing
I will never be a career teacher. I am just hoping to make it 2 years. If I can last that long.
I'll go back to school, find another profession, find another way to "make a difference." And that's unfortunate because I think I'm pretty good at teaching kids.
The running joke at our school, and I'm sure at others around the country, is the phrase "No teacher left standing" in response to the Bush administration's "No child left behind." I will not contain my feelings for the Bush Administration: they will have done more damage in 8 years in all areas of our country so that we may never recover. And education is taking the hardest hit - well, besides our environment. But this is not a Bush bashing...except to say that America should be ashamed of the way that education has fallen...and continues to fall. And I blame all of us - me and you - but mostly those in power.
I came home today in such a disappointed, frustrated rage, I had to write my feelings to you. My anger is not directed entirely at my administration, believe me, I have worked for the devil posed as a Principal so my current school is minor injury, but I'm angry at the whole system in general. There really will be "no teacher left standing" in a few years. Why would anyone put up with all of the rules, red tape and just plain crap that we have to deal with? ANY other job in the world, and it would have collapsed and filed for bankruptcy by now. Why did I go to college and get an education to have other people tell me how to do my job and give me no say in what happens? Why do people pretend to trust teachers when the bottom line is no one does? Parents constantly question our every move and are courted by administration (not my problem yet this year but certainly was in the past and happens all day long to those around me). Administrators - our direct ones and especially central office - tell us what to do all the time and never get our opinion, even though they either fled teaching themselves b/c of the crap or were never in the classroom. The state and federal governments put a requirement on us from people in the business world who have no idea what they are doing and actually limit our funding based on whatever measurement they want. None of us actually have any control over what we do and yet we are supposed to be the experts. That's what we went to school for, right?
I had the privilege of working at 2 different private schools. They both had problems, hard ones- there is no perfect place. However, the bottom line was that I actually felt like I had a say in what I taught, how I taught, what strategies I used to help my kids who were behind, what needed to be done to include a child or parent, and was asked my opinion and input in all aspects of my classroom. That was it - it was MY classroom. They were MY students, and I was viewed as the expert in MY field - teaching. I was only 22 and 23, and yet I had so much respect.
But not in the public school world. No, all teachers are idiots, and we need someone to tell us what to do every minute of the day and figure out for us how to reach students. Why don't they replace us with robots? And unfortunately, that reflects on how we treat our students. In the private school, I let them make more decisions, I involved them in the process, I asked their advise and opinion on matters. I was shown respect and grace by my "higher-ups" so in turn, I passed that same grace and respect on to my students. But in the public school world where we feel boxed in, pressured, frustrated and controlled, we tend to treat our students that way as well. I try to correct myself, but it's just natural. Instead I end up trying to control their movements...because someone, somewhere is judging me - AND PAYING ME - based on how that child does.
I don't know what the answer is completely, but I know it starts with control. Give us teachers the right to make decisions for our students. Don't fall behind the facade of "what about the bad apples?" Then don't hire them in the first place! Don't even allow those people in the profession. Don't be so desperate to have a warm body that you take someone who is not qualified.
As far as private vs. public school, trust me, I have a bleeding heart for the poor and down trodden. That is why I entered teaching in the first place. I'm sure that is what makes me a democrat. I want to help these students, so I don't want to be forced into a private school that doesn't reach these kids. But I also don't want to be a puppet. Especially when what I am being asked to do is NOT the way to help students. Just leave me alone, and LET ME TEACH!
I know that every year the schools lose good teachers. We are being driven out by those who can't let us have control. One day there will be none left standing.
I'll go back to school, find another profession, find another way to "make a difference." And that's unfortunate because I think I'm pretty good at teaching kids.
The running joke at our school, and I'm sure at others around the country, is the phrase "No teacher left standing" in response to the Bush administration's "No child left behind." I will not contain my feelings for the Bush Administration: they will have done more damage in 8 years in all areas of our country so that we may never recover. And education is taking the hardest hit - well, besides our environment. But this is not a Bush bashing...except to say that America should be ashamed of the way that education has fallen...and continues to fall. And I blame all of us - me and you - but mostly those in power.
I came home today in such a disappointed, frustrated rage, I had to write my feelings to you. My anger is not directed entirely at my administration, believe me, I have worked for the devil posed as a Principal so my current school is minor injury, but I'm angry at the whole system in general. There really will be "no teacher left standing" in a few years. Why would anyone put up with all of the rules, red tape and just plain crap that we have to deal with? ANY other job in the world, and it would have collapsed and filed for bankruptcy by now. Why did I go to college and get an education to have other people tell me how to do my job and give me no say in what happens? Why do people pretend to trust teachers when the bottom line is no one does? Parents constantly question our every move and are courted by administration (not my problem yet this year but certainly was in the past and happens all day long to those around me). Administrators - our direct ones and especially central office - tell us what to do all the time and never get our opinion, even though they either fled teaching themselves b/c of the crap or were never in the classroom. The state and federal governments put a requirement on us from people in the business world who have no idea what they are doing and actually limit our funding based on whatever measurement they want. None of us actually have any control over what we do and yet we are supposed to be the experts. That's what we went to school for, right?
I had the privilege of working at 2 different private schools. They both had problems, hard ones- there is no perfect place. However, the bottom line was that I actually felt like I had a say in what I taught, how I taught, what strategies I used to help my kids who were behind, what needed to be done to include a child or parent, and was asked my opinion and input in all aspects of my classroom. That was it - it was MY classroom. They were MY students, and I was viewed as the expert in MY field - teaching. I was only 22 and 23, and yet I had so much respect.
But not in the public school world. No, all teachers are idiots, and we need someone to tell us what to do every minute of the day and figure out for us how to reach students. Why don't they replace us with robots? And unfortunately, that reflects on how we treat our students. In the private school, I let them make more decisions, I involved them in the process, I asked their advise and opinion on matters. I was shown respect and grace by my "higher-ups" so in turn, I passed that same grace and respect on to my students. But in the public school world where we feel boxed in, pressured, frustrated and controlled, we tend to treat our students that way as well. I try to correct myself, but it's just natural. Instead I end up trying to control their movements...because someone, somewhere is judging me - AND PAYING ME - based on how that child does.
I don't know what the answer is completely, but I know it starts with control. Give us teachers the right to make decisions for our students. Don't fall behind the facade of "what about the bad apples?" Then don't hire them in the first place! Don't even allow those people in the profession. Don't be so desperate to have a warm body that you take someone who is not qualified.
As far as private vs. public school, trust me, I have a bleeding heart for the poor and down trodden. That is why I entered teaching in the first place. I'm sure that is what makes me a democrat. I want to help these students, so I don't want to be forced into a private school that doesn't reach these kids. But I also don't want to be a puppet. Especially when what I am being asked to do is NOT the way to help students. Just leave me alone, and LET ME TEACH!
I know that every year the schools lose good teachers. We are being driven out by those who can't let us have control. One day there will be none left standing.
posted by gnat @ 4:15 PM
1 Comments:
At 7:01 PM,
gnat said…
Thanks, Charlotte, for your encouraging words. They are not lost on me, and I will try to remember that my students need me!
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