02.26
In my 15 years of work as a psychologist, I have been a part of many school interventions. I have sat in on meetings, talked with teachers, administrators, school psychologists, observed in classrooms, provided educational workshops… In those experiences, I have read between the lines and seen grave injustices that altered life paths of some children and young adults, leaving both the kids and parents almost helpless to do anything about it, while the school justifies their actions often playing both victim and martyr.
Usually what was behind cases of injustice were educators and administrators who actively manipulated the system to work for them without seeming regard for the children whose lives they were supposed to benefit — in the name of sacrificing the few to save the many. I have also seen cases where parents and children have been able to manipulate the system to their advantage, often with the help of a lawyer. In either situation, the child loses.
Education, these days, seems to be more about passing tests than it does learning. How does learning to pass a test and being taught how to take the test to pass it serve the long-term interests of the student? This is where many teachers are stuck in the middle, because they get punished for students who don’t perform from the administration, the parents, and the media. How does this motivate a teacher to teach with passion, and how does this motivate intelligent gifted students to want to become teachers?
I also see more and more kids who are only interested in getting the grade rather than acquiring knowledge, and they just don’t seem to be taught the value of an education in helping them succeed in life. Cheating, in some form or another is almost the norm, in some populations, and this “win at all costs” mentality doesn’t advance our culture, but instead leaves us further behind.
Are we allergic to hard work? I do feel that that is something we need to address as a culture, and, educators can do more to inspire an interest in the learning process instead of focusing on test grades. But how do they do this with the government breathing down their necks, threatening to pull dollars away if they don’t jump through their hoops. Parents also need to realize that they are key to fostering a healthier mentality toward how our kids look at learning.
Our education system is truly in a precarious position, and at this point it seems to be a no win for everyone. I realize that the issue, as I present it, may be oversimplified, but I do hope to stimulate discussion.
Are there better ways to teach our children? Absolutely, but even how to teach our children has fallen victim to power struggles. People are battling over their “right” way of teaching and few want to acknowledge their own “wrongs” for fear of losing power, prestige, and/or status.
If we are all being honest, then we have to admit that there are a certain percentage of teachers and administrators who should not be employed in the profession at all. They either are burned out, rose above their skill level, never should have become educators, and/or changes in technology have left them behind. I believe that many of these know who they are, and many feel terrified that others will figure it out. What people tend to do who feel afraid to be figured out is deflect onto others and point out their flaws, rather than look at their own. This seems to be the education that our children are getting, and the epidemic permeates our culture from the top, down.
We have become a society of victims. This is not the first time that I have said this, but I feel it more than ever. While I am not a supporter or direct critic of either political party, I see a president who models accountability and responsibility, and he seems to be getting slammed at every turn. Where there are victims, there is little trust, because the only thing that a “victim” can trust is that sooner or later they are going to feel betrayed and/or persecuted again by someone. Is this the school that our children are attending?
The question I want to really ask is, “How do we help our kids to feel empowered to want to learn rather than feel like they have to?”
Respectfully,
Dr. E…
As a previous substitute teacher…and parapro, the difference was amazing. Asa Substitute teacher, it was fun. The kids had fun even still learning. I started the day with a smile and ended the day with a smile. As I became a permanent employee as a parapro, the politics started, and let me tell you it was not pleasant at all. The meetings you are required to attend were held after school hours and about one every third day. I saw first hand what the teachers were doing to these children’s self-esteem, hence the part where I mentored. It is a endless, thankless job teachers have, and again, I can’t say enough about the politics involved in the school systems.