I work at one of the best schools in the world. I have great students, a supportive administrator, and great coworkers. I have the freedom to develop and teach my own curriculum as long as my lessons follow the Nebraska Social Standards. Despite the freedom and flexibility of my job, I'm not immune from the occasional bad day.
A number of things have happened over the last couple of weeks that have asked me to question if I am really doing the best job I can for my students. I am always looking for new ways to teach and different ways to engage my students in the learning process. I am always pushing my students to use their knowledge to answer questions and I strongly encourage them to think for themselves in their quest for knowledge. Anyone who is involved in education knows that this is a pretty tall order! If you follow me on Twitter you may have witnessed my rant on April 21 about how the American education system has conditioned students to passively sit by while teachers tell them what they are supposed to think. It seems like at some point in time it was decided that schools had to treat everyone in a uniform manner which killed the creative and inquisitive side of students. I was curious about how my students felt about this so I asked them. They had a lot to say!
The essays are found here. Each essay has the first name and last initial of the student that wrote it. Please feel free to leave comments specifically for them on this post. You are welcome to leave general comments as well. Any comments and thoughts you are willing to share will be appreciated.
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteI saw your tweet about this post. Will read it later tonight. Right now my eyeballs are all dried up from too much computering.
My middle school students are quite apathetic, even in the Honor classes. I truly want them to embrace their work. Great research comes from inspiration, and not from duress.
Even though the school year is almost over, I have some ideas for September.
See you later in Tweetsville.
OMG
ReplyDeleteI just found your ning.
I've just created one for my teachers last week.
You sure do know your onions!
Great work!
I cannot even decide where to begin this comment. While I respect the opinions of all of these students, as a public school educator I am sickened by the sweeping generalizations about educators in schools like the one in which I teach. One question that I have for you is in regards to the average class size at VALTS. I see 140 kids a day; to say that our day is hectic is an understatement. Would I LOVE to give each and every student personal attention? ABSOLUTELY. As would almost every teacher in my building. If you know the secret to achieving this goal while seeing 140 kids per day, I really would be open to your suggestions.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, as a history teacher, I am aware of the history of education in America and believe that we are currently in an age where students are being encouraged to think for themselves more than ever. With the push toward differentiated instruction, inquiry based learning and the integration of technology, students have never had more of an opportunity to think for themselves. We are so long gone from the era of the rote memorization of dates and names. Very few teachers I know still teach this way, and their strategies are certainly frowned upon by the educational community.
To insinuate that all teachers neglect the learning needs of their students is also absurd. In our district, as well as in my former district, there is a huge push for data-driven differentiated instruction. Teachers in my department and throughout the school strive to create engaging, differentiated lessons that integrate technology.
From my experience, it is often the students, not the teachers, who don't take ownership of their own learning needs. My colleagues and I constantly bend over backwards for kids who could care less, and turn their noses up at the engaging assignments that we develop. I can't tell you how many times I've had kids tell me they'd rather just "take notes" and spit them back out at us. What a frustration it is to introduce a collaborative, differentiated project and have students moan and groan about how they will actually have to think in order to do it.
I think that to some extent these student essays touch on their own contribution to their educational experience. One student mentioned how she "tried her best to pass" but then went on to mention that she turned in homework late. To me, that is not trying your best, and would be unacceptable.
Someone reading these essays, with no knowledge or involvement in a public school system would think that all public schools and public school educators are old-school lecturers, with no regard for current research and the implementation of new, engaging strategies. The vast majority of the educators that I have encountered are professionals who care about students, and their learning, and do the best they possibly can given the situations in which they find themselves. Like I said, I teach 140 kids per day, and travel to four different classrooms in order to do so. I, however, like my peers, care about how students learn. I maintain an updated website and blog and design many student-centered activities that integrate technology. I assign packets for homework, and lecture to some extent because students need that preparation for college and for life. Let's face it - this is what colleges want kids to be able to do, and even if they aren't attending college, all professions require a work ethic.
To say that the educational system does not engage students in critical thinking makes me wonder just what is going on in the public schools in your community. I can speak for both of the districts in which I've taught; both have communities of educators who are professionals, completely dedicated to the success of their students.
To say that teachers shouldn't "let students fail" almost makes me laugh. The only person who "lets" a student fail is that student. When I dropped off my "In Danger of Failing" list today, I was told that almost every student on it is on lists for multiple teachers. Do you know why? They don't come to school. They are in 12th grade and have given up. It is sad, but what are we to do about it? We call home, we talk to the students, but we cannot go to their homes and yank them out of their beds in the morning. If we give them the idea that we are "letting them fail" how will that help them in real life? They will only learn to pass the blame onto others and not take ownership for their own choices.
Thanks for letting me express my opinion. While I enjoyed reading these essays, it does concern me that some people will read these and generalize about the public education system, and public educators as a whole. Our jobs are only made more difficult when outsiders view us as unprofessional.
- a concerned public school educator in PA
Love love love the fact that you gave the opportunity for the kids to express their opinion. I am one of those teachers with 100+ students and big classes. It is possible to have every student feel like you care about them (ok, there is always going to be a few, but...). Data driven differentiated does not feed kids' needs. It is still a teacher centered, empower the teacher, the students don't know what they need, yada yada method.
ReplyDeleteThe commenter above said that someone without public school knowledge would let these essays warp their thinking...I have quite a bit of experience and I think they are right on. Yes, most teachers think they "love" their kids because they feel as though they always tell them the right things to do, but yet the kids don't listen. Maybe they should stop talking to the kids and start listening. AHHHHH....i am in the middle of an unorganized rant...anyway, splendid job allowing them to write, and believing in their opinions enough to share them. Another teacher could have dismissed them as simply the kids whining and "blamed" the kids for their own problems. I think that is a real test of teacher character--Does the teacher blame the kids for their failure, or do they look in the mirror and ask what could I have done differently...
By the way, your comments are not set up to allow people without a google account of wordpress account to leave a comment. If they do have a google account but blog somehere else it won't lead back to their blog. Feel free to delete the last few sentences before approving.
Whether we agree with them or not, students have the right to speak what is on their minds. As a teacher it is my job to give them the opportunity and a forum. All students deserve to know that someone values what they have to say. I have never been one to bury my head in the sand and pretend that problems do not exist.
ReplyDelete