While working on this project of having a school-within-a-school we are having meetings left and right. Here’s a brief update of what is going on:
- The original proposal to take the students (about 50) from our school and put them in a different building altogether is off the table.
- The “school” will now be held in our own building, but there will be an addition of two other teachers.
- There is a bit more choice about how we want this program to look next year and we’ve been given some time (instead of them starting this 2nd semester of this school year) to look into our options.
Yesterday we had a meeting with a district person who came to give us more information and since this will start with next years 6th grade students we tried to discuss how it can be implemented. An informative meeting to say the least. One of the things this district person brought with him was an article he wanted us to read entitled “Young black and male” and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Before I did, however, I was reading about this program in Illinois where they’re recruiting potential teachers from poor communities and helping them pay for college expenses while they get a teaching degree. This, of course, appeals to me because I realize that had I not gotten financial assistance to get my own degree I wouldn’t be where I am today. However, I’m also cursed with loving children and teachable moments and take advantage of what I consider my gifts at all times.
It’s rare I call it a “gift”, but I know I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing with regards to a career. In fact, I would consider this my calling.
While reading the article there were two things that hit me pretty hard. One was how poor parents feel when they attend parent/teacher conferences. The other was how this same person they were highlighting in the article feels about being a teacher.
First, I happen to know that teachers use way too much Educationese when speaking to parents. I’ve been guilty of it, too, until it was pointed out to me. Now when I talk to the parents of my students I am cognizant of this and try to use a more universal language so that they, too, can be in the know of their child’s progress and achievement in school. So this poor parent who commented about that couldn’t be more right. Teachers need to consider that others don’t “talk the talk” about education as much as we do and find common ground on which to discuss education.
It was the second thing that made me groan, roll my eyes, and wonder what the hell people think it is we do on a daily basis.
This parent mentioned that she thinks a lot about being a teacher and spends her time picturing how to (paraphrased here) “decorate her room and arrange the chairs.”
Huh?
What does she think we work most on in schools? Decorating our rooms? Taking the time during the packed school day to re-arrange our chairs from 4 straight lines into the shape of a butterfly? I’d be willing to bet that every classroom teacher who is reading this right now would tell you that they WISH THEY COULD WORRY ONLY ABOUT THAT. That is the least of our concerns. Chairs are inconsequential.
This year alone I’ve been concerned about the student who sleeps on the bottom bunk while her mother and her boyfriend sleep on the top bunk.
I’ve been concerned about the 7th grade girl who is a mother already and can’t seem to stop getting into fights at school.
I’ve been concerned about the boy who comes to school with his gangster father and wants to emulate him in every way.
I’ve been concerned about how to teach 8th graders to read “sight words” so they can read at the 5th grade level.
I’ve been concerned about the achievement and success of students and NOT with regard to to NCLB, but with regard to personal learning. A child is much more than one score on a state-mandated test.
I’ve been concerned about the whole child and I know that investing my own time in them can sometimes mean the difference of them thinking they are capable of growing up to be what they want to be versus sitting in the bathroom during recess because they are mercilessly teased and are now considering suicide.
I’m overwhelmed with concern.
I don’t care what you’re background is: poor, middle-class, black, white, middle Eastern, blue collar, white collar, large family, single-parent family. If you believe that teachers worry about things as mundane as classroom decor then I personally invite you into the classroom.
Go. Visit. While you’re there, ask the teacher what he/she is most concerned about in their school.
I’ll give you all my worldly possessions if they tell you they’re concerned about chairs.
November 10, 2006 @ 8:04 am | Filed under Education, NaBloPoMo | Permalink |
javajabber Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 8:20 am
My son is a teacher. This is his third year.
What worries me is what he told me the other day. He told me that he has two students who are scoring in the 20’s on tests, homework, class assigments, etc. He told me that he’s was told directly that he can not record their scores what they actually are … he has to score them 60 or more.
This concerns me deeply. He’s wanted to teach for years. He’s 35 and got a late start (working, going to college part time, student teaching for no pay — which I didn’t know you had to go through) and already he’s getting discouraged.
I asked him why he had to do that. He said it’s NCLB.
Terrible. Just terrible.
Caffeinated Librarian Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 8:27 am
Damn straight. As the daughter of a retired teacher, I can tell you that the chairs in her middle school library were never on the list of my mom’s worries. These were just a few of her worries:
-Creating lessons to teach the kids how to use reference resources so that they would have the skills to do research when they reached high school and (hopefully) college.
-Wondering whether their enrollment would drop again and she’d have to lose her second librarian (or in the early days when I was little, whether she would be told to work at two different schools part time because the enrollment in both was not enough to justify a whole librarian).
-Worrying about whether they were going to shut down the library all together, get rid of all the books and the librarians and just put in a computer lab as a replacement (don’t laugh, it’s happened).
-Trying to prevent kids from accessing porn on the libraries computers while also teaching one class about reference sources, while helping another class find books to read for a class project, while also trying to staff the check-out desk…all at the same time since she’s the only librarian on staff.
-Worrying about the kids who can’t read. Period.
-Worrying about the kids who don’t care about reading and trying to buy books, find resources, etc., that might reach them.
-Fighting attempts to ban books from the library.
-Cataloging books so that they can be found in the card catalog or, later, the online catalog.
-Checking out audiovisual resources and book sets to teachers.
-Worrying about how many fights there will be today and whether or not weapons will be involved this time.
-Dealing with principles who see the library only as a place to hold parties or a place to dump unruly kids so that they don’t have to deal with them.
Shall I go on? I’ve got more…and this is all part of why I am not a media specialist. I do not have the…gonads to put up with all that crap. But for the people who do, bravo! I have more respect for you than I could EVER express.
Dana Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 8:59 am
Hia Kelly!
I teach 8th grade CCD and I must say that when I’m in my tiny church classroom, I think about how I’m going to be a good example for these children. I also think 8th graders are scary with their blank stares when asked a question.
I’m also worried about their constant chatter about who had sex with whom and who is pregnant. It makes me wonder what they are learning from their friends and what their parents are teaching them, when they aren’t learning Algebra and English Lit.
These kids are 14 years old. Not quite “children”, not yet adults and I’m responsible in teaching them about their faith, about morals and values and Cathlic teachings. It’s overwhelming.
I can’t imagine trying to teach them to read or write or compute math or study biology.
My co-teacher is a public school teacher for 9th grade History. One of her main concerns is whether or not her students have strong relationships with their parents.
Once I asked her why and she stated to me, “Those who have parents who truly care about their child’s well being, as well as their education, typically do well in school. The children who have parents who really don’t care and just send the students to the teachers, as if it’s the teacher’s responsibility to discipline and educate them, generally do not do well in school.”
It makes sense to me and it also worries me.
I’m always worried!
Jenna Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 9:01 am
Thank you for the caring for our kids. my mom is a head start teacher, and i know she has the same concerns and worries. and it is your concerns and worries that make you a good teacher.
peace
-S. Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 9:30 am
What a great post. I have often considered teaching and may still go back to school one day. Some of your concerns floor me. Growing up and currently living in a small town I am so naive to some of the things you talk about. I am not so naive that I think they can’t happen here. But I guess since my children aren’t yet in HS I kind of put it out of my mind for now. Then I read your post. My oldest is in 8th grade. I can’t imagine him as a father at this stage. He is more worried about playing PS2 & Internet gaming sites than anything else right now. I have had him babysit his almost 3 year old brother a few times and that almost killed him. I came home to him sitting in front of one TV while the little one was watching an Elmo video in his room.
Boy I really went on a tangent there. Sorry!
-S.
Betsy Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 9:31 am
What are you talking about?!?!?!?!? Arrangement of chairs are TOP PRIORITY. Have you not read Harry Wong, educational guru? Yeah, me neither.
We are starting our fall conferences and it’s always an educational experience meeting the parents. It always opens my eyes and I think, “Well, this explains a lot.” But I never say that out loud, except in team meetings. I wish parents understood that we are not babysitters, and guess what? I got your kid at 14. You’ve had him since birth. He should know respect and responsibility by this point. If he doesn’t, it’s not a reflection of the school, I can guarantee you that.
Grrr. Thanks for starting my day on such a happy note, Mocha. At least it’s Friday.
inthefastlane Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 9:54 am
I know a lot of teachers around these parts worry about those kids who have already shut down by 6th grade and are flat out refusing to learn or even participate in the educational process.
Mama Nirvana Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 10:29 am
I just quit my job as I high school counselor, and I enjoyed reading your post — it really brought me back. Teachers are so burdened with a lot more than their students’ academic abilites, they have so much baggage from what is going on outside of the classroom. Did your school receive a Gates Grant. School within a school is fascinating.
Lurking from the NaBloPoMo randomizer. Glad I found you today.
Amy
Mocha Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 1:19 pm
Javajabber - I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but I would rebel against that and do it anyway. However, my bigger question is What is being done to help them succeed? Are they staying after school? Getting help? Interventions?
Ok. That was a lot more than one question, but still…
Libby - It goes without saying that you understand my frustration. Thanks for your support.
Dana - Recently I heard this sentence: “A parent who cares is a parent who does everything to get that child ready for school.” That made a lot of sense to me.
Jenna - Blessings upon your mother as well as you.
S - Hey, that’s not a terrible tangent, ya know? Worrying about children is all encompassing.
Betsy - Harry Wong and Fred Jones are my favorite ‘beginning teacher’ authors. However, that is saved for when you’ve gone through classes, teacher training, student teaching, and any other induction schools require. Chairs comes later… and even then, it’s not the most important thing. And..uh….why HAVEN’T you read Wong, huh? WHY?
inthefastlane - It’s the apathy from students that is most disheartening. That’s when I want to take some of them home with me…
Amy - Welcome and thanks for the comment. You used the best word, too: “burdened”. That’s about how we all feel.
A different Ken Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 1:36 pm
Thanks for the post. I am profoundly worried about this situation. Teachers cannot be parents, for the sake of their sanity. Where kids with parents who aren’t involved or don’t care was pretty much the exception 30 years ago, now it’s all too prevalent. That said, I will continue to be involved in my kid’s life all through her schooling (she’s only in 2nd grade).
In my region of the country, many parents are too occupied with their position, status, whatever, buying their kids off, instead of genuinely spending time with them. A child will learn from a parent like no one else in his or her life. It’s a constant in the swirling storm of life. It’s simply not fair to ask teachers to take over.
So, yes, there will be kids where their parents can’t or won’t be there for them. The others who make it a willful choice need to think about the ramifications for not only their child, but for all of us. The separation in society for the have’s and the have nots keeps me awake at night, contemplating what it means for everyone and how to change it. I am not an island, nor on one with my little family. The chain is unbroken.
I met with my child’s teacher (burdened with NCLB bureaucracy), and asked her what I can do to help out in the classroom. (I’m going to help teach some science subjects.) My hope is that this will help my child, and her teacher and all the other kids in the classroom.
It’s never about the chairs. I offer my thanks and praise to teachers everywhere who are compassionate and tough enough to complete their jobs. It ain’t easy.
tanilan Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 2:16 pm
I admire teachers, like you and my husband. I see these kids come in and out of my library everyday. It saddens me that they don’t know some of the simplest things, because no one has ever taken the time to teach them. I have seen teachers who are only in it for a paycheck. I have seen teachers who don’t try to help the kids. In fact, I see it everyday. And it hurts my soul. Because a lot of these kids don’t have a good homelife. There are some students, whose parents don’t care where they are, what they are doing, or even who they are with.
I find myself trying to be a momma to a lot of them. Many of them even call me Mom. And I do what I can to fill that void for them, but it isn’t always enough. My husband and his fellow coaches try to do the same.
I thank you, and all other teachers like you, who take the time to care for our kids. I’m not talking about the teachers that only come for the paycheck, but teachers that don’t care about the pay and care where our children’s future is heading. Thank you!
Betsy Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Instead of Wong, I read “Your First Year As a High School Teacher. ” Loved it. Wong has great ideas (I actually have read it. Didn’t you note the sarcasm?), but hard to apply to older ages. The underlying concepts are universal, but needed something more adult.
For all middle and high school teachers- get that book in your staff libraries! Suggest that your principals hand it out to every brand spanking new teacher in their buildings! It is an incredible resource.
I am a blog hog. I will sign off now.
Nora Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
The fantasy of what we think a career will be like and what it is are entirely different. Everyone thinks it must be peaceful and calming to working in a nursery. Few handle the muddy puts, cut up arms and weather. Teaching is a wee bit more important, and I still consider getting a masters and teaching science. The concerns you mentioned are the very things that hold me back, how could I ever help those kids without not getting involved and heartbroken?
Lorina Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 4:13 pm
This was a really good post. Sometimes I feel like I am too distant from the public education system, since coming to a private university. In high school, though, the deterioration of most educational systems is very apparent. It’s disheartening how students act towards teachers, how burned out teachers act towards students and how administrations turns a blind eye on many of the problems. I just hope we can creative effective solutions for the long-run.
Have you heard of Teach for America? Any opinions? One of my roommates is very close to the program (she had TFA teachers in school, she is now working as an on-campus coordinator and she plans on applying for the program) so sometimes I think she has a biased opinion towards it. It would be nice to hear the opinions of someone who isn’t affiliated with it but still has connections to the education system.
Beth Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 5:11 pm
(I found you via the Randomizer. Don’t hate me.)
Great post. My best friend is a high school history teacher and I’m sure that if she told me that her main priority was desk arrangement, I’d arrange to have her head checked.
I’m a pediatrics resident. My outpatient clinic practice is composed primarily of urban families on Medicaid. I see students (the 13 year-old mommies, the ones in foster care, the ADHD kids, the ones with depression and eating disorders, and yes, even the normal ones) in my clinic on a day to day basis. I worry about their mental and physical health and how they do in school. If they’re well supported by families and teachers, they can gain the knowledge and skills to improve their lives. I only hope they end up with teachers like yourself that are as concerned for them as I am.
(And I too am excited for the Buxx red cups! The holidays are nigh!)
MamaCaffeinatedLibrarian Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
Just had to mention two things in addition to CL’s wonderful comments, some of which I really never knew she was aware of.
I know a lot is made of children never being taught subjects, but I was librarian in a high school and had as students children I had had when they were in elementary school. Many of them would preface a question with, “I know you taught us this, but I’ve forgotten…” (Yes, school librarians/media specialists are teachers too.)
One principal once told us in a staff meeting: “You either deal with the students or the parents.” If you work in a high poverty school you probably deal with the students because the parents seldom come to school. If you teach in an upscale area, you deal with the parents who are frantic if their son makes a 95 on a test because he may not make it into Harvard or the parents may have a ski trip planned during exams and can’t see why the student can’t make up work. I chose the students and have never regretted it.
Mrs RW Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 6:26 pm
“I’ve been concerned about the whole child and I know that investing my own time in them can sometimes mean the difference of them thinking they are capable of growing up to be what they want to be versus sitting in the bathroom during recess because they are mercilessly teased and are now considering suicide.”
Truer words were never spoken. It’s pointless to just tell a kid that they can be anything they want if they just try. These kids who often have to be their own parents probably don’t spend much time dreaming of their futures. Future is making through today, then tomorrow.
Thank you for helping make the future better, because these kids ARE our future.
Tricia Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 7:28 pm
Having been married to a teacher for 18 years… How about the value put on the profession? Why is it that our professional sports players are making millions upon millions each year and our teachers make diddly squat? Why is it that we spend so much time comparing how much money each student “earns” per year? Why do we never have enough money for education, but enough for weapons? While we are at it- how about health care? And… oh, I better just stop. Please let us all just hope these elections will really mean something.
On a lighter note- though not necessarily healthier- the strawberry bread was a huge hit at dinner tonight! It counts as a grain and a fruit, right??
Elizabeth Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 10:22 pm
I was just struck by the notion that 20 years from now there will be hundreds of adults looking back on their lives, and they will all be thanking you for caring so much about them when they needed it the most.
You rock.
Maria Said,
November 10, 2006 @ 10:24 pm
You know, I have a meeting with Jojo’s teacher scheduled for next week. This would be an excellent question for her.
DavidShag Said,
November 13, 2006 @ 9:42 am
I kind of agree with you - heck, I do totally, and yet I am thinking back to school - especially younger years, and I realize that when I think of school, I DO think of seating arrangements. It was always this big deal when we would rearrange our desks into a big circle. And Mrs. G had that damn “Barretts of Wimpole Street” display up each year, and “The Yearling” display - well, I hope if I were a parent, I would thik about other things, but I am not and I don’t. And I am pretty shallow. Actually, I hope, if I were a parent, I would mainly let the teachers teach and not interfere constantly regarding content, discipline (unless there were none)or anything else. Since I am a totally lazy-ass person, I have good reason to think that I would.
Mocha Momma » You Should Have Stopped Me. Why Didn’t You? Said,
November 29, 2006 @ 4:02 am
[...] Not too long ago I wrote about this school-within-a-school that three African American men are trying to implement. I made mention of it here, here, and here. Since then, the program has changed from taking approximately 50 of our AA male students and relocating them to another building where two teachers would be responsible for them to identifying 28 AA males who will remain in our building with the support of these 2 extra teachers. The best part of this stems from the fact that the ball is back in our court and we will be responsible for creating this program with additional staff members. [...]