Somedays, I get it.

[learnteach]

Little lost lambs, straying...what could be stupider than a sheep? A willful High School student. I spend more time on basic discipline than on teaching here, and it's worn me down to where I understand why the Lord would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and why you can't find a good man there--"Good" is relative; in the land of the goof off, the one working is the one who gets their stuff stolen or pilfered or stuffed full of paper, and verbally ridiculed, and physically abused.



So, in short, I haven't defeated the prevailing culture of violence and stupidity completely enough. And if you are not part of the problem, you better duck and cover. And...wow.

School should use computers. No, really, we're in Silicon Valley; the students are all carrying machines (cell phones, music players, game systems) that can literally give them all the answers, but the State Requirements (derived from the Federal Requirements) is that they close the books, sit in a room, and pass a test--a form of test used no where else in life, and a set of skills they don't really need.

Education Reform Now! What do we want?

It's Amerika. We want more money.

I don't think modern schooling is serving us well, just as I don't think modern government is serving us well. But I don't really have an answer. Just some up close and personal observations.

The scary thing? According to the population figures, soon the majority of youth in California will be immigrants (more or less.) And they're not doing well in these schools.

Just one set of thoughts...

Comments

[kawgirl.livejournal.com]

So let me get this straight: the students are dumber than sheep? And the system is completely broken? Again, I invite you to see the positive in the kids. No matter what, I know it's there (remember I also worked in a gang infested school district and in a correctional facility). I never met anyone who didn't have any potential. It can be a challenge, but isn't unlocking potential the point of doing what we do? How sad to have given up on that.

As for the system?....Well, yeah. It's F***ed.

[katie-in-london.livejournal.com]

but where and how can time be taken to 'unlock potential' when all your time is spent disciplining?
Though my passion for education and system reform has grown, I still hate spending all my time on discipline and no time on teaching.

[kawgirl.livejournal.com]

Effective discipline would help to unlock potential, would it not? But you can't have effective discipline if you have already decided those you are working with are beyond help.

[katie-in-london.livejournal.com]

One person (the teacher) can only do so much.

Sure. They can discipline. Too bad the parents have not done that themselves.

but originally their job was to teach.

It's so sad that teachers can no longer teach...

[kawgirl.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. And we can all always point fingers elsewhere. But if we fail to strive to make positive differences, where does this leave us?

There is a lot to be done about promoting good parenting skills (this happens to be one of my current jobs) and there is a lot to be done in the realm of educational reform (it breaks my heart to stand in a classroom and watch kids have to sit and learn how to pass really lame standardized tests instead of learning how to think and be constructive).

But I will maintain that if one can't have positive regard for those with whom you work, there can't be any positive progress. It's precluded. And that's all I'm saying. Without hope, what's left?

No;

[learnteach.livejournal.com]

the message intended there was a biblical one. But, and to the point, over 30% of the students in two classes throw away the worksheets I give them, then complain about their grades. They throw things and trash the classroom if I'm not right on top of them every moment. I can't throw them out of class unless they are physically violent, and sometimes not even then.

I was intending to make a point about God's patience exceeding mine, which of course it does, but there's another point, that is perhaps more appropos: I'm not good enough at discipline to truely teach effectively here, and I don't think anyone is. The longest tenure of a teacher on this faculty is two years; same for every staff member...no one can last. The system is broken, and has been, and we are fixing it.

I do see the positive in the students (I find it hard to think of them as kids; young neo-adults is more accurate) but I find it incredibly difficult to find time to work with it.

Re: No;

[learnteach.livejournal.com]

So what you see here in this journal are the frustrations I can reveal, and vent. Are all the students useless? Far from it, but the ones acting out are certainly very difficult. Can I handle them? Sure, one at a time, but I've got 5 to 7 of them in every class. Am I making this work?

I'm spending my own money for any sort of supplies.

In Silicon Valley, the only presentation technologies I have are a whiteboard and a photocopier. Can't find the money for an overhead projector, still working on it.

Over 20% of my students are ESL, we don't have an ESL program.

etc.
etc.
etc.

It gets old. I'm doing what I can, but it's really tiring. The system (current bitch) also has "Professional Development" days during the student vacations. I'm working at least 3 hours every weekend trying to stay on top of things.

Monday, I gave a requested review of material, so students could retake a test. The number of failing students, out of 120: 60. Number in the study session, after having it mentioned? 0.

It is the school, of course. It's also, frankly, my problem in that teaching at this level is too much discipline for me. So, to answer your question, yes, it's me.

I can walk out of this job and double my salary on a yearly basis doing network contracting. If I thought I was making a real difference, that wouldn't have a big pull--but what I'm mainly doing is discipline issues.

And then I get the stories of these students, and what's going on...well, it's easy to see why school is a minor concern, especially a science class they're not prepared for adequately but required to take.

Enough. Going to go get some sleep. Strangely enough, one of the harder things is the 6AM wakeup for this.

Re: No;

[kawgirl.livejournal.com]

I am sorry if I misunderstood. As you might guess, working with a similar population as you do, though in a different realm of their lives; I can get a little sensitive about it. I mean, society in general is rather quick to call the kids you describe as losers and give up on them. I apologize for being as touchy as all that.

I do know it's difficult and the system is overbearing. And teachers are some of the most underappreciated people in this country.

I hope you have had some good sleep by the time you read this. (: