Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Teaching IS a work of heart!

        "Teaching is a work of heart".That's a slogan I had on a coffee mug that I used for many years as a classroom teacher. While teachers have come under fire for the current state of our school system, those of us in the classroom know the truth!
         Teachers teach through the swinging pendulums of what "the authorities" think is the right way to teach: centers, whole group instruction, phonics, no phonics, literacy circles, reading groups, whole language, new math, old math, spelling (no, I mean vocabulary development), homework, no homework...I learned to go with the educational flow. Today's teachers do the same.
       I  taught through the additions in curriculum: "Hands are not for hitting", "Everyone is special", toothbrushing, sanitizing, computer instruction, "Special friends", nutrition education, what to do about inappropriate touching...and then I adjusted to what was subtracted:  art, music, creative writing,...I had to find ways to supplement what "had to be cut". Teachers still do.
       I started teaching when children came to school rested, clean, and fed. Schools now have to serve breakfast, lunch, snacks, & hand out doggie bags of food for children who need it to survive their weekends. They are also mandated to serve through the summer months when schools are supposed to be closed for cleaning (ha) and repairs. Teachers can no longer count on teaching children who are rested either. Many children are allowed to stay up  late, with little or no supervision, and spend way too many hours on computers or watching inappropriate television. They come to school tired, irritable, and often late - if they get there at all.
       When I started teaching, supplies were provided. They weren't fancy but they were efficient. Today, teachers have to send home long supply lists and districts provide less and less support. (By the time I retired, I routinely spent at least $5,000.00 a year on basic classroom supplies like crayons and paper.) Every teacher I know buys curriculum support materials out of his or her own money as well as supplementing the Kleenex, snacks, & other necessities the children have to have.
       Then there are the 3 ps: politics, paperwork, & parents. Political correctness has taken the place of common sense. The idea behind "No child left behind" sounded good, but execution was impossible for the majority of districts - and the teachers became the victims. Classroom paperwork takes up hours of time that teachers could be preparing. Testing takes up weeks of instruction time - at least 3 weeks 3 times a year. Parents can be unreasonable, and usually the children with the most severe behavior problems have parents with the loudest opinions & most demands -  so we coddle them and put the children in program after program, hoping to counteract their lack of discipline and shaky home lives by additional attention. Then there are the children with the variety of learning disabilities, some which have been caused by alcohol & drug addictions of the parents, who want the school system to "fix" what they created! This is on top of the second language students who have their own distinct Federally-mandated plans. Regular classroom teachers teach these "special needs" kids for most of the day, taking away large chunks of time and attention from the rest of the students. Additionally, try planning a day of instruction when there is a steady stream of kids getting pulled out of class for remediation of one sort or another.  And don't get me started on the lack of respect... the rude behavior of some of the hottest stars on "favorite" shows is not the example that we should be condoning for our kids, and yet we laugh and expect that somehow what they're watching is not going to translate into their behavior!
       So there you are. Teachers have become the scapegoats for our "failing" educational system while factors way beyond their control have set parameters that are almost impossible to teach within. In spite of all those things, however, Every teacher I know works extremely hard for very long hours, with very little support, & with all of the above obstacles.( If you think I'm over-dramatizing, visit your local school for a day!) Instead of criticizing teachers, try giving them the encouragement & support they earn year after year. Volunteer, ask what you can do, provide supplies, send a Thank you note "just because", do what you can to help. After all, you couldn't be reading this unless some dedicated teacher had done her/ his job. The bottom line is this:  If teaching wasn't a "work of heart" there wouldn't be any teachers!!  Think about that as your kids & grandkids start another school year. And remember to pray daily for your kids' teachers - after all, they will be with your kids almost more than you will for the next 9 months!

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