The good and the bad about...teaching

HI everyone (again),

Just wanted to rant a bit about what I've been doing for the last six weeks. I've had a crash course in No Child Left Behind, Raising Standards, and what it takes to make AYP as a school in the state of Georgia.I've met numerous state officials with the department of ed and they are all highly qualified and capable. I've learned about middle school, about middle school teachers (a very special breed, and I say that in the best sense), and school systems. And this is what I've learned while working at a "needs improvement" school that is in danger of being "contract managed" by the state:

1. There are some really good teachers out there. Veteran teachers and new teachers. Some, however, are lazy. They see any change as "more work" instead of "better work." And the thing is this: these changes have been coming down the pike for years. But as with many people, teachers are slow to change and so now, in the last hours so to speak, they are having to do things. Some of the veteran teachers I work with are very smart and capable, but they are very, very cynical. They barely let me speak before shooting down what I'm saying...they don't have the latest training and some of them don't care to get it.

2. Some teachers really like kids. I mean, they really LIKE them and want to see them succeed. They are not always barking orders at them or looking at them cynically. These are the teachers that succeed (and tend to be better teachers). Some teachers don't like kids...or they are teaching a grade level that is inappropriate for them. It is important for teachers to really think long and hard about the age group they want to work with. Having said all this, it is the attitude of the teacher that is the number one determinant of a student's success. Why? Because students are primarily concerned with two things...1) whether or not the teacher likes them and 2) whether or not the teacher believes they can do the work.

3. You would be amazed at the similarities in teaching college freshmen and high schoolers...or middle schoolers, for that matter. Amazed at the level of literacy that is. I would say that the most crucial part of any student's progress is his or her ability to read, understand, reflect, and synthesize material. But this is not happening...for many students. So many are not being served because the standards are so high. This is the weird paradox of setting standards.

4. These students are savvy at taking tests. They are taught the lingo, given practice tests, spoonfed and beefed up on this stuff. What teachers must do is teach the "test" in different and more creative ways. Teachers are the ONLY place where some of our students can be imaginative. It is up to teachers to initiate and instigate this in students....teachers can do it, if they care.

5. Administrators are trying hard. They have a great deal to work with and some are not all that qualified. Some are put in their positions because of winning seasons or just hanging around for decades. Be patient with them and invite them to learn. Show them what you know. Invite them in, let them be a part of things, keep them in the know.

6. A school's atmosphere has to do with learning...not control...imagination...not stagnation...caring...not criticism...raving instead of ruling...soulfulness instead of soulessness...

7. If you do one thing today to help someone live a better life or feel better just for a moment, would you say your life is worth something? Yes it is! It is important to inspire in everyone around us this thought: Students hold the key to their success, but we, as teachers, show them the door.