I wonder where some of my students will end up

I like to think that what I'm a part of is doing some good, but I'm starting to wonder if the current system is railroading some students into career paths that may or may not pan out. What I mean is this. When I go to trainings and staffings and to hear these so-called "experts" talk about the "right" way to teach minority students they seem to always talk about the arts. Now before any of my readers get all upset and start causing a riot, I was a part of the band and have the utmost respect and appreciation for the arts, but what bothers me is the following. Why are black and Hispanic students supposed to be taught using "art"? This is becoming a concern for me. I've been told that working with minority populations I should use art, music, raps, poems, stories, etc in order to help them learn. I think that's a great alternative when the basics have been covered, but how is this helping a student get ready for college or even the work place?

How many students aspire to be art teachers, music teachers, or even musicians? Not many. They think about being rich, having a house, something nice to ride in. Who was the last living artist that was able to say they were living that dream? How many musicians actually make it? Not that many, but that's the life they push these kids towards. They tell us "science and math isn't there thing." or "just let them enjoy acting in the school play." I'm wondering why are we not encouraging these students to do well in all subjects and allow their arts to be compliments to their other studies? I'm not trying to say that the school system is really pushing these kids to fail, but I think soo much more can be done to enhance their education. The current system seems to see young Hispanics and blacks as merely artist, actors, musicians all while allowing them to fall through the cracks and not teaching them to really play the game of life that they will be faced with. Are all Hispanics graffiti aritist? Can all blacks sing and dance? I don't think so. So why are those the skills that are pushed on these students? Why are they not categorized in this way: "Well George Washington Carver was a wonderful scientist, I think little Chris could be one also." or "Justice Sotomayor made it to the supreme court, maybe Andrea could get there one day too." Why aren't these conversations the norm? They should be. The prevailing thought shouldn't be that these students are artistically inclined so let's teach them all that way. It gets a little irritating to see.

If you're a student reading this, do your best in everything you do. You can be a great artist, actor, musician as well as a great historian, scientist or mathematician. Don't let anyone tell you the only talent you have is such and such. For any bold administrators that dare to read something like this. Take a look at your own school and see if you are doing this on your campus. Finally for any teacher that reads this. Be sure to encourage your kids to continue to learn across curricula and DO NOT let a child feel that they can only be one thing or the other. It's our job to show these kids that the world is theirs and they must find ways to seize every opportunity that they have.

I'm out folks. I hope someone can take this and it lights a spark that can help get this country and our students going in a positive direction. Leave comments and take care.

Maybe they finally see

I was talking to a couple of my students today and one said "I'm scared of the future." The other one turned and asked why? The first one said "because when everybody Mr. Green's age dies it'll only be us left and I don't think we can run the earth on our own." Wow! That was an epiphany for the ages.

It sort of scares me that this is where the kids are and they're finally seeing that they are in some trying times. Well I guess, like my student said, I'll be dead so it's a problem they have to face on their own. I hope they're ready. For those who have paid attention and learned something I leave you the world. For all the others, I leave you with a wish of good luck. Take care.

Finally!

Well tomorrow I get to meet with a parent. Why you say? As an intervention to help her child learn? Of course not. In reference to a phone call home about her child's lack of progress? No silly! It's because I took his brush away last week. Yep, that's how to get a parent to the school. Take something away. But don't cry for me Argentina, I'm going to bring the failure documentation I have and see if we can actually have a real discussion. Should be interesting. That's all for now. Have a good one folks!

An 8th grade observation

One of my students has written me a series of poems about her observations in class. Interestingly enough it started on career day where she looked around and noticed other students not paying attention while the various speakers were talking and it concerned her. So she wrote a poem about it. She gave me the poem and I read it and it mirrored many of the sentiments I've posted on this blog. That made me think. She then went on to write two more poems about her day to day in class. That too mirrored many things I've either said or thought. That really got me thinking....

If a student is able to express concerns about the other students in class, then there is obviously a problem. I do my best to deal with these students but it's like trying to dig a hole in a pool of water. When you scoop more fills right back in. It's tragic that students like my little poet have to suffer because of a lack of discipline by other students, lack of training from home and the lack of a true system to deal with problem students.

These kids are fine being suspended, don't show up for detention, don't mind failing and have very little respect for themselves or others. What do you do with a student like that? That's the question facing many teachers now. You try to focus on the students trying to learn, but you can only ignore or supress the "other" student for so long before they start to distract and influence others.

I still plan on teaching to the best of my ability and hoping to help students like my poet to reach her full potential. I know she will. Beyond that I'm going to continue to struggle with grading policies and procedures and overall frustrations of the education system, but I plan to try to be as positive as possible through it all. As always, thanks for your time and I'll post the poems on a later day. Take care and feel free to follow or share this with a friend.

I'm done

Well today all hope went out the window. I've tried for the past few years to be that voice of reason. I've told myself things will get better if you just stick with it. How wrong I was. I try to hold myself to a high standard and I do the same with the kids I teach, but today that was crushed. One piece of paper is all it takes to bring a kid from failing to not failing. The same kid who has done nothing all year. The same kid who told you he/she is going to make a failing grade. The same kid who told you that they weren't going to do anything. The kid that walks out of your class. The kid that is on the 3rd grade reading level but is in eighth grade science. The same kid who doesn't do the extra assignment. Yeah, that kid was able to pass because a few pieces of paperwork weren't filed. Sure, I understand that is policy, but does that one paperwork really make the kid understand the material. Does it say you no longer failed your test? Not at all, it simply says we don't want you to not be as good as you think you are and your teacher is a bad person for trying to fail you. That's what it says to me, but when I step out of my teacher role and look at it a little more objectively. It says something more along the lines of we don't want to have to deal with you anymore so we're going to pass you along. It says that the education system is no longer in the business of educating kids. It says that teachers no longer have a say in a student's grade. It says that paperwork is more important than classwork. Well, that's all I needed to know. What's sad about it all is that you are now pushing away the teachers who actually do care. You're now telling them it doesn't matter how hard you try or how much passion you have, the students can do everything or nothing and they are still going to pass. The question I pose is "Why do we need teachers then?". Are we just full time babysitters? Are we there just to watch after the kids? I guess so. Learning seems to be far down on the education system's list so I ask again, "What's the role of the teacher?" If you know the answer please let me know. If you have some suggestions please leave a comment. As for me, well, I'm not sure anymore. Thanks for your time.

What's the strategy?

"So what's the stategy for what?" I ask myself. as I find myself administering a reading test, that's the first question I hear. It makes me think about the way things are going in general. Is there a strategy? Are we going to find our way out of this recession? Is there a strategy to get out of this war? Is there a strategy to get kids to value themselves and want to come up with new and better strategies? Now that's a question for the big wigs to wrestle with. Can we strategize to overcome laziness? Is there a model for beating apathy? Are there general guidelines for instilling and activating self-respect, determination, or self-motivation? If there are any ways to combat these I'm waiting for the next cnn special to show me how. Can we call it "Lazy in America" or "It's not your fault in America"? You know something with some real substance. Well, maybe I'm asking for too much. My parents taught me to follow my dreams and to do my best. They instilled in me confidence and courage. They let me fall, all the while lessening the blow, so that I would know how to get back up. Is that type of parenting long gone? Is that a thing from the past? Am I going to finally be one of those adults who start sentences with "When I was growing up..."? I don't know. A conversation with some collleauges really made me think. We discussed that kids in school aren't going to fail. Not because they're stellar students or complete everything or pass every assignment. Instead, they get a free ride because the paperwork isn't complete, they have their own paperwork, policy wasn't followed, they had a rough upbringing, or maybe just maybe it was the teacher's fault. That seems to be the general concensus. No matter how many times you gave them lunch money, stopped the bully from picking on them, encouraged them to do better, or even tried to encourage their parents to help them do better. It's still the teacher's fault and all interested parties go home and sleep at night. All except one, that teacher who carries that burden of all of the kids they are in charge of, that's the one who has to use a sleep aid, drink, complain to friend, re-evaluate their life because the blame can be pushed no more. They are the ones who stand up and try to map out the plan, do the strategies, be the leader, teammate, and cheerleader but why? When the "real" strategies are being made and put in place no one looks at that teacher bearing those burdens. They say you're doing fine and help's on the way. The only thing that comes is one more burden to bear. In closing, I hope we, as a society, can find some new strategies to make things better. It seems as though it has been left up to the people to make the strategies and find ways to weave them into the fabric of society which is fine but if we don't start with a drastic change in thinking and in our actions we will end up right back where we started. It's not much but let's start here: 1.) Parents be parents - teach your kids to make society better. 2.) Dear education system, can you please be a part of the solution instead of the problem - you only have so many chances in life. Not everyone can make the team, not every kid's an honor student, and you're not going to be sued by every parent. Have some courage and stand for what's right. Isn't that why we pay you? 3.) Every person should hold themselves accountable for their actions. We can only change who we are and what we do so let's start there and if that's the general concensus then we should be doing ok. Let's all find our strategy and make it work. Have a great day.

Why do we work?

I'm a teacher and after talking to a friend today I really started to wonder "why exactly do we work?". I know the generic answer is that we're making a difference or affecting the lives of America's youth, but I really wonder about that. I would love for that to be the case, but the current state of education has me believing that I'm in the classroom more as a glorified babysitter than an educator. Now granted, I go in and give it 100% everyday because that's my nature but overall the question remains. Why? Why should I give my all when the system is set up for the kids to "pass"? Why expect excellence and the kids only have to strive for mediocrity? Why be passionate, caring, encouraging and you are alone? I used to have answers to all of those questions. Now, I just feel lost. Sort of like being in a dark alley and you don't know whether to go left or right, so you just stand there for a moment waiting for something to guide you. I've seen student and parent involvement decline rapidly over my last 3 years in the classroom and it's tragic. I've seen students go from behavior problems to learning problems. The education seem to be so afraid of parents and lawsuits that they don't even take the time to get to the root of the problem that's tearing away the foundation of our education system. Instead they find the prettiest, most childish and consolatory band-aid they can to put on it until this school year passes and then we'll try again next year. The problem with that is that the band-aid hasn't been able to cover the gaping wound for sometime now and we're just now trying to find a way to deal with the bloody mess in front of us. The kids don't know what to do or how to react because they've always been told "it's going to be ok." but in reality it's not. This sweeping under the rug has left a large mound that we now have to find a way to beat back flat. That's not easy when you start to look at the stuff that has been put under there. A few examples are responsibility, accountability, resourcefulness, critical thinking, earning your keep, you reap what you sow, life isn't fair, you're not the best at everything, you're going to have to try harder/again, you mom isn't going to always be there, and many more. When those things start to get pulled from under the rug and aired out they become harder to deal with. Now that we are in the time of change and hope finally has the audacity to raise its head are we going to try to fix the problems that we have with education in this country? I sure hope so. If not, we can all sit back and watch the youth of this country go down and then shortly after we can watch our country do the same thing. I'm going to continue to do my part in the classroom and I hope you will help do your's. Let's not have more and more teachers wondering "why do we work?".