Ok, it's official. My computer at home is dying. I FINALLY get high speed internet and the @#&*!+$ computer goes south. Yes, I AM frustrated. The stinky thing is I'm quite sure if I had gotten a Mac 4 years ago I wouldn't be dealing with these problems now. Sigh... so now I have to decide what the next step will be. . .On another note, I just finished a rather frustrating class meeting with a group of my colleagues regarding a book called “Whatever It Takes” How professional learning communities respond when kids don’t learn. The book is thought provoking and the concepts that it presents sound really great. The frustrating part is a result of our inability to make any of the changes outlined unless there is TOTAL buy in by teacher, administration and parents. Our school superintendent has read the book, included the title in this year’s district learning goals, and yet we just found out that the district is preparing to implement some new principles that are in direct opposition to those very goals. There are about 20 people in this class and there are about 20 different interpretations of how to go about improving student achievement.
If we continue in the direction we are headed in education i.e. performance based teacher pay, there are going to HAVE to be some drastic changes made in the way things are done or not only will there be a teacher shortage - there is going to be a mass exodus from the teaching profession. WHY would anyone want to subject themselves to the mandated demands on a teacher? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to teach. What I don’t love is the proposal that I, as a teacher, should be responsible for not only teaching, but motivating, mothering, psychoanalyzing, nursing, and feeding the students. The implication is that in short, ANYTHING that is wrong in our society can be directly placed on the shoulders of the teacher. If I’m any kind of a teacher there should be no child left behind. Period. End of discussion. Doesn’t make any difference if the IQ is 35, there is abuse, malnutrition, physical handicaps – whatever. If I want to get paid I WILL have every student reach a pre-determined “goal” regardless of the student’s capabilities.
OK. I’m going to stop about now. I need to get away from this train of thought as it’s counter productive. The only thing I can do is make an effort to do what I can with the tools I’m given and let go of the things over which I have no control. Easier said than done.
5 comments:
It really is sad that society expects the schools to do so much of what should be done in the home. It is amazing that you are expected to overcome all the baggage that come with children to school--lack of parental support, lack of food, abuse...the list goes on and on. And all this on the glorious teacher salary--plus all the respect you get from the community (ha). It's a wonder anybody goes into teaching at all. Don't even get me started on the sense of entitlement every parent seems to have these days. Sad, sad state of affairs.
Oh and sorry to hear about your computer. Dennis says the next computer we are getting is a Mac also.
Um, as a long time Mac fan I have no comment on the computer situation.
As a fellow teacher...(kind of) I can only empathize with your frustration.
I have similar student driven outcomes expected at the level I teach, but nothing as stressful as what you deal with.
Priorities are certainly confused when our society pays millions to athletes and pennies to educators.
Hmmmm?
That sounds horrible. How many more years do you have left before retirement?
Aunt Karen? Is it really you? I always saw the name and I just never clicked on the blog..... Well now that I see you, HOW ARE YOU??? It's been Forever since I've talked or seen you!...
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