Does Anybody Care About Me?
In chapter 5 of The Flat World in Education, by Linda Darling-Hammond in the description of California, I started thinking about the students. I wonder how they feel about their education, the quality of their teachers and the decisions the government has made impacting their future. On p. 152 a student explained how she felt about her school and what an ideal school would look like. She went on to say that an adequate school would have enough chairs, tables, books and materials for everyone. They would have a caring teacher who was trained and would talk to them with respect. She wanted a teacher who understood about where they were coming from and what kind of life they live.
I see her perspective as so eye opening! It is good to turn the tables and not just think about how all the cuts effect the teachers, but how they affect the kids. Sometimes it is easy to forget about everybody in the picture. My school district just cut P.E. and music in all of our elementary schools. For the kids these choices are long term and unfavorable to their potential. For some of our kids, P.E. and music are the areas where they can shine and relax for a little while. Childhood is chaotic and stressful for many of the children in my school population. Exercise and music are a time for outlet and brain development. I hope the students don’t feel cheated or forgotten about in this era of budget cuts and elimination of programs. Hopefully, they do know that most of us do value them and care about their life.
As I embark on becoming a P.E., music and regular classroom teacher this coming year, I will give it my all because that is what my students deserve.
My heart broke as that child painted a picture of an ideal school. I get frustrated thinking about how many students go without the bare essentials. While thinking about the essentials, how is cutting exercise, counselors, and other support sytems providing a well rounded education for all? To me it seems as though we go backwards when we are faced with budget cuts, when that could be a prime opportunity to be innovative and keep important positions in tact.
ReplyDeleteHowever,I do appreciate your willingness to merge on, because that is what a great teacher will do. What is best for students even in tough circumstances should always be the lighthouse, our true beacon.
Tonya just to add to the previous comment…look at each challenge as an opportunity. With having to teach both music and PE next year along with your regular classroom teacher, maybe looking on the positives will help make the transition, not easy, but maybe go more smoothly. You will get an opportunity to see your students in a different atmosphere, a place where many kids feel comfortable, which is playing. You need to have a good time with it too, and play. Music on the other hand, who knows maybe you, will be the 3rd grade teacher that in 10 years has a former student become an American Idol. You never know!
ReplyDeleteLooking at any new situation in a positive light seems to help control your stress levels, helps show your students that you can adjust to change, and just allows you to add one more experience to your list
Tanya,
ReplyDeleteThat’s a great question. Do they really care about the opinions of the students? I think that they like to say that all their decisions are for the good of the students, but we all know that isn’t always true. I mean, how often have you heard of schools, districts, or states surveying students about their academic needs? Not too often. It reminds me of a quote from a great movie about teaching called Matilda.
Listen, you little wiseacre: I'm smart, you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it.
--Harry Wormwood
The suits that make decisions about schools are too much like Harry Wormwood.