OT: The state of education

[Dave B]

I need some help or maybe to vent. Tough week in the classroom dealing with things/issues that defy logic and responsibility of parents.

I am a school teacher who is losing his mind and more importantly his heart for education. I have only been at the job for 13 years and many people might agree that isn't very long, however

I teach in a great school district, we serve mostly middle class kids with a tow dipped in each end of the money pool...super poor and amazingly rich.

I however am losing my desire to try and break through the shell of today's apathetic children. Yes, I have students whom I am crazy about, would do almost anything they needed and know they will succeed, but after 13 years and around 1400 students I am at the point where caring for stupid problems, excuses from parents, and administrators is getting to me.

Sure, I have wonderfully funny stories about things kids say and do and could probably host a segment with Bill Cosby on the subject. I just find myself losing it when it comes to dishonesty and the changes that are being forced on teachers as we are treated like lab rats. "Hey do this brand new experimental teaching practice and become a master at it in a year." Only to be force fed something new the next year and then criticised when the "Test Scores" don't show what we need them to. Geeze we just had the former head of Indiana's dept of education found guilty of falsifying a charter school final grade as it was named after the guy who made the biggest contribution to his campaign. Education is trying to be run like a business and sold to the highest bidder. Only the very top are getting rich and the money stops there.

Ugh, rant over.

[verticaldoug]

Did your school start using the common core exams? If not, just wait for the ···· to hit the fan.

[firerescuefin]

Apathy is a pandemic...not just in the schools. Fight the good fight my man...because unlike many of your peers and administrators, you are not apathetic, and the kids that aren't (and more so, the ones that are) need you in the trenches.

I had some horrific home issues growing up...and many teachers didn't want to recognize it. One in particular did...and made a huge difference, though she didn't know it then.

Looked her up last year and was able to share that with her. After being retired for 15 years, it made her day.

Fight on!

[MattTuck]

What grade do you teach?


Sorry to hear about the problems with today's youth.


Apathy sucks.

In the words of Arnold, "When you're partying, horsing around with your friends, someone else somewhere is working harder, getting stronger, getting smarter, winning."

[dd74]

The problem is public school education is based on state testing. At least that's the way it is with LAUSD. There's no longer an investment in the kids as they are pushed out more like items on a production line, something which the school board encourages. It's one reason why I rejected USC's Masters in teaching program after they accepted me; student/parent/administrative apathy. Plus every teacher I spoke to wanted to leave the profession, and when they did, they weren't being replaced.

[tele]

I have been teaching for the same amount of time and things are not much different as far as parents or administrators here in western Massachusetts.

For the last few years I stay in my classroom and teach--I purposefully stay out of the way of my administrators, they are idiots, and I mean that. They couldnt teach after a couple of years so lets run a building, yeah!

Parent involvement is at an all time low and it shows in the kids.

The common core test is coming but I haven't seen it yet....only the curriculum.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by tele

I have been teaching for the same amount of time and things are not much different as far as parents or administrators here in western Massachusetts.

For the last few years I stay in my classroom and teach--I purposefully stay out of the way of my administrators, they are idiots, and I mean that. They couldnt teach after a couple of years so lets run a building, yeah!

Parent involvement is at an all time low and it shows in the kids.

The common core test is coming but I haven't seen it yet....only the curriculum.

Let me ask you something: would you suggest teaching as a profession?

[Joachim]

And I see the same in the medical schools. If the "feeder" system is not top quality, we get bad apples on this end.

[tele]

Originally Posted by dd74

Let me ask you something: would you suggest teaching as a profession?

Great question! While I love the actual teaching of students all the other bs that's going on; certification issues, new teacher evaluation systems that no one understands, etc... I would probably say no.

In addition, last week we did some relatively real drills with the local police regarding active shooters in our buildings (w/o students) and it really makes me wonder about safety and security.

[Kirk Pacenti]

Originally Posted by dd74

There's no longer an investment in the kids as they are pushed out more like items on a production line...

This ^^^ reminded me of this, particularly starting at minute 1:48. Not sure I agree with all of it, but it's very interesting nonetheless...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

[dd74]

Originally Posted by tele

Great question! While I love the actual teaching of students all the other bs that's going on; certification issues, new teacher evaluation systems that no one understands, etc... I would probably say no.

In addition, last week we did some relatively real drills with the local police regarding active shooters in our buildings (w/o students) and it really makes me wonder about safety and security.

Would you consider private/parochial schools? Or even college-level schools, i.e. junior, state, university?

[john903]

I am not a teacher, but am a school bus driver. Sadly I see the apathetic attitude on the school bus as well. But being an optimist I look for the best in all my kids and treat them all equally and fairly. As we say we are the first people the kids see in the morning and the last to see as they go home. Most all the drivers truly enjoy or jobs and look out for, encourage and are genuinely concerned for them. When I encounter attitude or apathy I like to ask the who, what, why questions and draw them out of there shell. I find they really are appreciative when someone really engages with them. So to all the teachers here you are all very much appreciated and yes it is a hard job, but as mentioned be that one teacher the kids will remember, or stay in the class room and avoid the administration. Just some encouragement from your friendly bus driver and don't forget to say hi to us if you have the opportunity we have some great stories to tell as well. Oh someone mentioned would you suggest teaching as a career. I would say yes. after I retired from the Coast Guard I was going to school to be a teacher, but things did not work out like I thought except I realized I really enjoyed being around kids and driving the school bus is now a perfect match for me.

Have a great day, oh maybe go for a bike ride that will always make you feel better.

[Lewis Moon]

Right now the entirety of the US education system is in an uproar. It seems as if everyone is thrutching around, trying to address real educational issues while simultaneously devoting less and less money to education. The world is changing at an unprecedented rate. Moral, technical, socioeconomic and scientific issues seem to wink on, burn bright then gutter out within seconds. You are caught up in the thrutching.
With the world changing so quickly, would you expect education to stay static? One of the worst problems I’ve seen in the classroom is teachers trying to apply the same methods and use the same information they learned decades ago. Children are coming to school as “digital natives” reared in a constant wash of ever changing media and information. Add to that demographic, moral and cultural shifts and your job just got three times harder. Teachers, schools and society need to adjust .
Unfortunately, that adjustment is often huge and imposed from above. Testing, accountability and required curriculum are being tried as ways to staunch the hemorrhaging of unqualified students into our economy. I’m not a fan of testing at all, because, all too often, it leads to tailoring a child’s education to a particular test. Accountability is only as good as the metrics used to measure it. The Common Core is something I’ll take await and see attitude on, before making a decision. What we teach needs to change quickly. The “three Rs” no longer provide even a meager base for higher education.
Whenever change occurs, it is rarely unalloyed good or bad. It is what it is. However, education is like warfare, in that we are always fighting the “last war”. It’s almost impossible to get out ahead of the curve, so you’re always playing catch up.

Full disclosure: I have a teaching degree but left education to do scientific research. My spouse is an educational psychology professor at a major university. We have a daughter in public school.

[AngryScientist]

my high school calculus teacher was the greatest teacher i ever had. he encouraged me to get into engineering, a career which has been, up to this point thoroughly rewarding, challenging and fulfilling. he was instrumental in guiding my decision as to what to study. he was a good guy.

keep up the motivation and the enthusiasm for the students you can reach. i assume at least one of the reasons you became a teacher was to change and sculpt peoples lives for the better. try and accept that there will be many lives untouched, but it surely must be worth it if you strike the right notes with only a few, that's more than a lot of people ever get to do...

[verticaldoug]

I think the 3 R's still count. People are awash in constant information, but without the ability to process the information, it just becomes noise. They are simultaneously in 'awe' of technology but have lost respect for science.