Entry #6 - Oct. 12, 1998
''The quality of the younger teachers entering the
system is outstanding, but no cause for complacency: the majority of them
are not likely to stay in teaching, statistics show. My young colleague
is a case in point. Graduating from a first-class education program, with
a number of successful practicums under her belt, she felt ready for anything...until
she came to us.''
I know that many of my colleagues feel that Open House is pretty much a
waste of time, at least for the middle school -- the turnout is low, and
more often than not it's the families of high achievers who show. But to
me it's the old glass-half-empty-or-half-full? conundrum, and I see more
positives than negatives.
It provides a focal point for ME to organize materials, program statements
and unit overviews, as well as the physical space. Our extraordinarily capable
educational assistant, who has a keen eye for room layout and decor, orchestrated
a complete makeover of my classroom -- a plant here, move this table there,
and voila -- an inviting learning environment! In the process, ignoring
my howls of anguish, she relentlessly turfed out "treasures" I
had hoarded from as far back as when *I* was in eighth grade!!
This was the first time I had tried phoning most of the families, especially
of new students, and I think it paid off: about 50% of my students appeared
with a parent or other relatives in tow, about triple the usual number.
I find it much more useful to talk to people in person than over the phone;
it's much easier to tell if you're "connecting" with the person,
and best of all, you communicate to the student that teacher and parent
are in cahoots!
If more of the middle-school families aren't attending these events, I wonder
whether the format adequately addresses their needs. Would some workshop-type
activities on issues around parenting teens, with skits and the like performed
by students, be a bigger draw? Perhaps some participatory activities to
introduce the curriculum, rather than just hearing someone talk about it?
Maybe some motivational gimmicks with a prize to the classroom with the
highest participation rate? We tend to assume that families are apathetic
or unsupportive without necessarily asking whether what we are proposing
is what they really need.
We had a joint assembly with the elementary school (primary-grade parents
certainly come out!). Our administrators detailed several incentive plans
to promote achievement and positive behavior among the students in the lower
grades. As they spoke I marveled to myself -- and not for the first time
-- how singular it is that education leaders seem to have a good grasp of
the importance of motivating children, providing constructive feedback and
creating a positive climate -- then revert to primeval autocracy in their
dealings with adults in the system (not only teachers, but often parents
and support staff as well.).
In an era where industry, manufacturing and many business enterprises have
emphasized employees taking ownership of their work environment, building
inclusive teams and channels of communication that ensure ideas from the
front-lines can be swiftly evaluated and implemented, where Quality Circles
are commonplace and collaboration and group problem-solving are avenues
to improvement -- in this era, schools are still run along the lines favored
by the Attila The Hun School of Management Science! I exaggerate for effect,
of course, as most of our administrators have far better social graces than
the barbarian invaders, but the "enforcer" mentality -- order,
threaten and reprimand -- is alive and well and inhibiting positive change
all across the continent.
Of course, orders and sanctions will reliably ensure low-level compliance
-- with easily observed behaviors -- as long as vigilance is constant. But
the price is high: this method of dealing with people stifles good will,
creative thinking, individual initiative and a co-operative spirit. I think
all supervisory personnel should be required to learn, and demonstrate their
skill in, the use of positive reinforcement to build community and raise
achievement! Some outstanding individuals do it intuitively -- great coaches,
for instance -- but it's a skill that can be taught, and mastered through
practice. After all, *I* learned it -- but not in an education-related setting.
The incredible waste of human talent in ordinary public schools just boggles
my mind....teachers tend, as a group, to be highly creative and resourceful
individuals, yet their input on school reform is rarely sought or heeded
when offered. When people have no legitimate outlet for their creative energies,
they are almost sure to find undesirable ones. Being law-abiding folk, we
don't often stoop to felony, but waste creative energy in other ways, subtly
sabotaging any real hope of a quantum leap forward.
Staying late to get ready for the Open House,
I had a long chat with one of our new teachers, who is really in a quandary.
The quality of the younger teachers entering the system is outstanding,
but no cause for complacency: the majority of them are not likely to stay
in teaching, statistics show. My young colleague is a case in point. Graduating
from a first-class education program, with a number of successful practicums
under her belt, she felt ready for anything...until she came to us. We have
a new, very demanding curriculum which she is REQUIRED to teach, but --
as she said to me, beside herself in frustration -- "Even the Grade
8 kids don't have ANY of the prerequisite knowledge to do the curriculum
required -- they don't understand the material, however you present it --
the vocabulary and concepts are totally new to them -- and besides that,
very few can read even the notes that I make up for them (almost none can
read the textbooks.) If I am going to really TEACH them anything, I have
to go back to the level where they really are -- but I'm not allowed to
do that -- so do I just spoonfeed them the stuff, make them parrot out the
answers, never mind if they understand? "
None of this surprised me, but I asked if she had asked these questions
of any higher-ups. "Yes," she allowed. "But nobody will give
me a straight answer. And in grad school .... NOBODY WARNED ME about situations
like this! I don't know what to do!"
And I don't know what to tell her.
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