Wow! It’s been a very long time since I was able to post. A lot has happened since I last posted. Please share with all your connections. I am trying to help educate parents on their rights and questions and so many more items, but I can’t do that if my blog can’t get shared.
Many timely events including The War on Ukraine, a dog set on fire, a school shooting, gas inflation and the list seems to go on and on. Our world is an angry place. Along with this I am still recuperating from spinal surgery which I’m told is a very long recovery. This Blog is set up with many different pages to give a little something to many. I will update all my pages, but for today I think I’ll chat about …… EDUCATION.
EDUCATION drama is beginning. I have been an educator for 28 years and it always begins the same way for me. I think about my students all summer long and pretend to envision what they are doing and how they are doing. I try to think of new ways to be more productive and less stressed throughout the school year. I get increasingly excited over the summer and then can’t wait for that first day of school.
Let me back up. I get very tired of listening to people say, “You’re a teacher? That means you get the summer off”. When scheduling appointments and saying, ‘anything works because I am home for the summer’, I hear, “wow, that must be nice to not work for three months”!! It’s really 8 weeks off, and I work during those 8 weeks for free. I don’t physically drive to my school building, but I do google ideas, use Facebook, Instagram, visit the dollar store, the teacher store, every consignment shop I can find and Facebook Marketplace looking for gently used items to bring to my classroom that I have paid for. I do not get paid over the summer as many think or get gas money or money for mileage. My school year paycheck gets minimized throughout the year so I can get some checks over the summer. I have parents reach out to me over the summer if something went wrong or for support. Finally, I’ve heard, “Those who can, Do: those who can’t, teach”, coined by George Bernard Shaw. Well, every single being from birth until death learns something from a teacher or through a teaching moment. Many children begin attending school at age 3 for preschool and stay in school through grade 12 +. Once an age allows someone to get a job, they are again taught that job and may teach many others under them as well. Learning and teaching go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. So please don’t use the phrase above because it is an untruth.
So, the drama begins as a new school year unfolds. I have been thinking of new ideas all summer, reading up on philosophy, and spending my money to buy things for my room. I visited the teacher store the other day and bought some fun things to decorate the room with. This was a cosmetic room trip only. I have now been creating documents to add to my teacher binder. They include: ways to communicate with my parents, bus, car and walker information, dates that the district or the county wants me to complete things by, data organization, behavior information, special education information, substitute information and the list goes on and on and on………..
2019- now are years that have been and predicted to be very difficult. Where are the teachers???? So many are no longer teaching. They have left the field. Lack of sensible income, lack of stressless days, poor health, way too many students, a lack of resources and demands put on teachers which are incomprehensible and impossible to complete have all contributed to this current situation. Substitutes are becoming the norm if and when they exist. Adults with varying degrees are now being accepted into the classrooms to teach subject matter that is foreign to them, with children they can’t control, in environments which are loud and unmanaged, without colleagues to assist them and mentor them. The newest teachers are thrown to the wolves in a nonsystematic and unorganized manner. Classroom aides are substituting for teachers and getting an increase in pay, but do not have the training to effectively teach a classroom of children to prepare them for the next year. Does this sound negative?? It sure does. How do we make a change? I really don’t know. I do know what parents need to do. For now, I suggest calling your child’s classroom teacher and asking questions. I have met with parents, afterschool for 2 hours to walk them through a legal document. I have met with a parent for 2 hours to acclimate her to the classroom, answer her questions and support her. I had taken over for a teacher midyear and due to Covid, parents hadn’t been invited into the classroom that year prior to me coming. If you are unsure of what your child is sharing, call your teacher. If your child receives a poor grade, call your teacher. Advocate for your child and make sure they are receiving the best possible education they can, given the circumstances they are in. Attend the Open House. Give your contact information. Attend the conference appointments in person. Anyone can pick up a phone or email. Get into your child’s classroom so you can see what they are experiencing. Help your child complete the school/home expectations. Please go to my parenting tips page and my special education pages to read more. Please share and send me any questions you may have. Here’s to a calm and successful school year.