Ahh the pitter-patter of little feet, not! Yeah the first image that comes to mind when I say that are these cute adorable kids, running towards you. Well that's prolly on a fantasy island, because here, they run like wild banshees. Thump, Thump, Thump! It reverberates through my apartment, rattling the windows, echoing through the entire place. Every time I hear them, I think um hello, have your parents taught you nothing?
It wasn't so long ago that I was living under my parent's roof, and the balony these kids get away with now days, would never have been tolerated. My parents knew where I was at all times, they checked my homework, and I was punished for my wrong doings. There was no wishy washy, arguing, or deception. I appreciated the value of reading a good book, playing outside, and enjoying my life. My entertainment longing was never filled by a Nintendo or cable. I grew up without it, and I'm more appreciative of my parents for it.
Working as a teacher, I see where kids are nowadays. I've worked in three different districts, from inner city, to ritzy and wealthy, and the kids are all the same. They have too much time on their hands, too many things given to them, and very little appreciation for the small gifts in life. Very rarely do I see them appreciate the small gifts: a grove of blooming roses, fresh cut grass, a smog free day, a well written novel. It's all about how much can I get, how much does it cost, and what can I do to get the next one.
As a teacher, I try to get my students to appreciate life; to see the smaller gifts. Sometimes I'm successful, but most of the time I'm not. Oh well, my work is never complete.
I see our youth of tomorrow and I hear our esteemed elected officials screaming about test scores, and fixing our low performing schools. Have they ever sat down as human beings an analyzed why school are so low performing? Let's think about what makes a successful student.
1) Parental Support and Involvement
This is number one. Parents are working longer hours, and kids are left to their own devices. People, if you don't want to spend the time with the kids, don't have them! But no, people have kids, then they work longer hours, and with kids left to their own devices, of course they aren't going to succeed! They need adults to guide them in their life.
2) Willingness to learn
It doesn't matter how many ways you dress it up, students aren't going to care about education, until it means something to them. They don't care about standardized tests, because it doesn't mean anything.
3) Extra Curricular Activities
So many students are labeled with hyperactivity, and ADD. Does anyone wonder why? We've eliminated nearly all of the extra curricular choices in school. Where are students supposed to learn how to relate to people in the real world? Where are they supposed to go to relieve their stresses, and learn new things? Life isn't made up of reading, writing and math; there are other life experiences.
If kids are lacking in these ares, they are often lacking as a student. That's pretty darn simple to understand.
These elected officials need to look at the big picture. No amount of money will raise the bar on student achievement for a long period of time. You have to address the bigger issues at hand.
Firstly, like any job, teachers want to feel safe where they are working. They don't want to risk their lives on a daily basis. We don't get paid enough for that. How about cleaning up the neighborhoods. Get rid of the slums, put people to work, toss out the gangs, drugs, etc. Inevitably the schools will improve. Students will learn more in an environment which lends itself to learning.
Pay more money. It takes a person just as long to get a teaching credential, as it does to go into pre-med, and we aren't recognized for that. Appreciate the fact that we do work hard. Stop putting us on a salary, and look at hourly. Pay us for overtime. I worked over 60 hours last week. No overtime in my check.
Special Education teachers need to be treated as specialists. We work hard! We are specialized in our field. We get beat up, screamed at, yelled at, and it's expected. We don't get extra pay for that. We are blamed when students don't achieve. I have a caseload of 28 students that I'm expected to be a surrogant mother for. I make sure they go to class, modify assignments, keep track of their progress etc. Plus I teach my own classes at school. Now, you say I do the same job as a regular education teacher? Puhlease. Let's get real.
Stop penalizing single people! I'm single, I enjoy it. Let's face it, our government practically forces you into marriage with all of it's benefits. You get tax breaks for being married, tax breaks for having a kid. It's ridiculous. I'm penalized because I'm not married or don't have kids? I'm not contributing to the overpopulation of the earth, and I'm in the wrong? Does this sound logical? Does anyone else feel a little discriminated against?
Stop making teachers surrogant parents! We aren't, yet we do things that the parents should be responsible for. Example, there's a girl who has missed 33 days of school. Are her parents punished? No, but the school is for not doing more to get her to school. When did parental responsibility shift from the parents, to the teachers? Where does it say that parents can have the kids, not teach them the basics of life, because the teachers will do it. Schools and teachers are supposed to provide pencils, and papers for our students. Umm ok, would someone please reimburse me?
I could go on and on, but I won't. I'm not saying all parents are like this, some of them rock! Day after day however, I see the same things. It has caused a purely jaded attitude on my part.
Someday I may have kids, and even get married,(gotta find a husband first!), but I wouldn't continue teaching. It would be too much to continue as a teacher, with all this going on, and try to be a parent myself. It would be self-suicide.
On the plus side, the 70's TV shows present a much simpler way of life. One has to admire the Brady Bunch, Leave it to Beaver, and even The Cosby Show. They may have not been realistic, but they were a welcome relief to the ills of society.
Till next time
Yoda:Bugger:
Angela:
0 have something naughty to say
Miss These?
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I solemly swear that I am up to no good. - 2006-05-05
What has been going on with me - 2006-04-22
year end survey!!! - 2005-12-31
Update from Sunny CA.... - 2005-12-05
