Ahhhh, elementary school; land of
active learning! Can you recall the memorable days of exploration
through art projects? Team building skills through kick ball games?
Learning to take turns with friends at recess playing lightning at
the basketball hoop? Preparing for tests with jeopardy and memory?
Music classes, multiple times a week?! Dressing up on Halloween?
Class parties? I could go on and on about the skills that I learned
through all the fun I had. I wish that was the case for todays
generation...
As a former elementary school teacher
of a short (long) 6 years, I sit back as summer approaches
remembering all of the excitement that comes with the end of the
school year. Your class of little learners just spent nine months of
their lives growing mentally, emotionally and physically in your
care. You have invested your heart, soul, money, time, and love into
these children and they are about to move onto a new phase in their
journey. As their teacher, you hope to goodness you have done the
best you can for each individual, and wish them an awesome summer as
you give them a hug or high five as they walk out your door. Your
eyes might get watery, because you will miss them, you are exhausted,
and you are overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to finish.
All at the same time, you are preparing for your summer school class
about to walk in your door in a week... got to pay those student
loans somehow!
Teachers have super powers. Some
teachers have multiple sets of eyes. Some have multiple hearts or
multiple hands. Others have an inner well that overflows with wisdom
or patience. Others are telepathic. To teach, to care for a full
classroom, to multi- task, you are granted, earn, and learn these
skills along the way. It takes a person with superpowers to be a
teacher.
The statements are true: School isn't
what it used to be. Kids are growing up too fast.
In a quickly changing world flooded
with technology and diversity, our younger generations aren't getting
what they need from our schools. It is a trickle affect from the head
offices to the classroom. Yes, the students are cared for, but
everyone is too focused on test scores and number crunching and
funds. Not everybody wants to be, that's just how it goes. Too much pressure. I have worked in private schools and in schools with 99%
poverty. It is a similar story all around. One thing I know for sure
is that parents love their children! Stop blaming the parents, stop
blaming the students, stop blaming the teachers! Start communicating
and building relationships to better the educational experience for
all involved.
I am now on a different career path.
Why? (How much time do you have to listen?) Balance. Extremes.
Expectations.
I am a believer in balance, or strive
for balance in life. It is difficult to achieve that as a teacher.
If you are part time, you actually work full time. If you are full
time, the teachers I have taught with work way beyond that. Emails, phone
calls, planning, prepping, grading, creating and more is taken home
at night, on the weekends, and over the summer. Balance?
Teaching is extreme. After two years of
teaching at a private (Catholic) school, I was told by signing my
next contract I was also signing to abide by the rules of the church.
That doesn't affect how I teach. Teachers teach for several
reasons, and religious or political beliefs shouldn't be a factor
when educating a child. So, I chose to move onto a different job
that appreciated my skills rather then wondered what I was doing
after hours. (even though many of those hours included making
classroom tools while enjoying a glass of wine.)
My last two years of teaching, I was in
a district where recess was taken away at one school I taught at, and
kindergarteners were expected to follow a schedule (to the minute) at
another. I would love to see someone from the district try to teach
a room full of 23 five year olds for an entire day. Especially when
some of these kiddos didn't have dinner, or were going through family
crisis, or had a learning disability, or someone just peed their
pants. Come on! Balance? Kids need it too. Extremes?
Expectations. Why are there so many?
We need guidelines and rules and agreements and yes, a few
expectations, I understand. But when the growing minds of children
are pushed all year to pass one week of tests, and sit calmly all
day, and reach unrealistic milestones, and follow a minute to minute
schedule, it becomes a little nuts. What about when a shy student
finally stands up to read a paragraph they wrote? Or you see two
children solving a math problem together? Or the child whose parent
just passed away jumped rope for the first time? Self discovery is
such an important life skill. The problem is, there isn't time for
that! Where is the creativity and flexibility in our schools? It
continues to become less and less. Don't even get me started on the
expectations of teachers...
There are moments when I miss seeing
the lightbulb go off in a students head. There are times when I miss
collaborating with all those super power teachers or connecting with
the parents who want to see their child grow, shine, and work hard. But teaching
isn’t what I thought it was going to be. Maybe I am too much of a
free spirited being to fit the mold of todays four wall classroom.
And maybe not. I do believe we have lost many wonderful teachers who
have switched career paths. But for those in the heat of it,
teachers, students, and parents, embrace yet another year of amazing accomplishments. There are a plethora outside of those darn tests!
Photo by Charity Huot Benedict
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