Go to the Head of the Class

Education has been most of my life since around 2001.

For a time, while taking classes, I lived, ate, and breathed education. I immersed myself, gladly, in its fumes and let it make me giddy with knowledge. The thing I looked forward to most was getting ideas across to students. Not just Science or Math or English, but living experiences, telling my stories, helping them to become better people.

My first couple of years, I got to do this. Then I got more productive with work and learned how to wedge the stories in between and along with the work. Then I learned to make the stories a part of the work.

Now, it is different. I think it is scary.Scary because I no longer believe that education has our children’s best interests at heart.

In my checking, I believe Indiana has it the worst; however, that is the only state I have taught in. I have simply read about others, in general. You know, it’s even difficult to put your fingers directly on the problem. I think that’s intentional; if you can’t say exactly what it is that needs fixing, they can walk around it for years. Just and opinion.

Here’s the thing: There are three things that are being thrown together and I believe we have the wrong amounts of the combinations. First, and foremost, we are now testing…testing…testing. The students lost anywhere from 4-7 school days in just testing. We are told this is to make certain that teachers are teaching properly. How do you argue with that?  But, all this testing is being used to fund the schools by results and play a huge part in deciding the effectiveness of the teacher.  Bad idea, guys.

Then, we are to teach them the “standards” that the state has set up for each subject. I don’t really argue with this as it is; however, if it keeps getting more

How do you handle it when a student is allowed to stay up very late and otherwise kind of “neglected” at home?

Finally, teachers are becoming accountable for everything the students does. To a point, again, I agree; however, it is reaching the point at which the teacher is responsible for the child desiring to learn and teacher is responsible for the parents’ duties as well.

So, here it is: If the government continues to increase tests (and they spent a huge amount of educational funds – ones already cut severely – on purchasing tests), if they continue to restrict teachers’ movements and methods and such, and if they make the teachers even more responsible for things out of their control – it will fall.

It will not go away silently in the night, this fall will make Humpty-Dumpty look like nothing. There will be egg on everyone’s face. It is bad and people do not see how bad it is getting nor how fast it is coming

This fall marks the first of a horrible teaching year for teachers. The paperwork has doubled, the methods to teach now are clumsier and stricter, the testing has increased, teachers’ responsibilities have increased, the teaching unions are nearly gone, and the students do not seem to care as much for learning.

It’s not too late. We truly need to get these problems voiced and driven through channels that will make a difference.
Even though I am no longer teaching, I still feel an obligation to letting the world know that things are not good and steps are being taken that will, indeed, make it worse.
Namaste,
Scott