Thoughts for the Day

Valrie asked me to post my journal entry from this morning - so here it is.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Read Valrie’s post last night – agree that she has a point. .There are lots of veteran teachers out there who could use some pampering – just as there are newbies, too. But as I think back on my first years teaching, I remember feeling the pressure to do all those extra things and staying late every night and arriving early every morning…however, I am also mindful of the reality that it didn’t exhaust me like it would now! I was so much younger – and single, which is huge! I could do all those things because I had the capacity in my life for them at that time. Not that I don’t now – but it’s a juggling act like it never was before. I have a plan: I think all new teachers should get 5 passes at the start of their careers – kind of like a get out of jail free pass, only without the negative connotation, because I happen to believe that all those extras we do are what helps us to reach our kids and be more effective in our jobs - but they would be good for one year of free or reduced extracurricular activity, no questions asked, no professional repercussions (no snide looks in the faculty room or bad performance evaluations!) Then teachers could apply them at any point up until retirement. So – birth of a baby, death in the family, illness or other crisis, and you can turn your attentions to your own life for a little while without the crushing guilt. I know for sure I would have used one while my husband was in Iraq a few years ago – but I never would have thought to use it in my first few years as a teacher! So – as Val pointed out, one size really does not fit all. Which leads to my next little pet peeve – the persistence in education circles of what I like to refer to as the second grade notion of fair and equitable. Anyone who has ever been on a playground with second graders or has ever had children knows that in their little minds, fair means everyone gets the same, as in “She got a popsicle and I didn’t – that’s not fair!” But that’s not what fair is – fair doesn’t mean everyone gets the same. Fair means everyone gets what they need when they need it. We have so many glitches and problems in our schools that come about because people can’t let go of the idea that fair equals same…so we argue of dispersal of special education students and 504 students and title I students because we’re looking at numbers instead of kids, and we argue over caseloads because we’re looking at numbers instead of kids, and we argue over the scheduling of paraprofessionals and other support staff because we’re looking at numbers instead of kids…and our union perpetuates the drama because THEY’RE looking at numbers instead of kids…it seems so clear to me that we have to adjust our expectations based on the needs of children at any given time, and I know I’m not alone because I have had this conversation with others, but I am anticipating the struggle in September and wondering why it has to happen at all.