Once again as an educator I am trapped in the whirlwind of back to school inservices. As an educator I wonder why administrators place us in poor settings for learning to occur. I've been through two all day inservices,this week, where I was cramped, and uncomfortable.
I don't do any better than the kids at sitting quietly for long periods of time. I fidgeted, tried to take notes and pay attention, but to no avail. I got up between the sanctioned "breaks" to move, and ease my cramped tired body.
It is not that the workshops weren't good, or helpful, in an abstract way. Some stuff I can use, some is not applicable. I brought a book, my palm pilot, loaded with games, and a bag of candy. Well I bought the candy during our lunch break, and it came in handy for the rest of that workshop and again today.
I am annoyed that there is no time to start practicing and applying those things that might really be helpful. I am annoyed that I feel rushed through these workshops at a faster pace than I am comfortable with. There is NO chance or opportunity to ask questions. This is the time of year I feel just like another animal in the herd.
I feel that way because no one at my district has ever (to my knowledge) asked us, the teachers in the trenches, what we feel we really need. It's all about the numbers and the testing and the breaking down in to specific groups. Is it any wonder, that at least in my mind, the educational system looks like a Picasso?
I love what I do. I know that teaching is an art. I am crafting individuals. Yes that stretches me pretty thin with a pupil load of 140 per day. I won't even go into what happens when I have at risk, or special ed kids in class. Yes, I have a bunch!
I teach reading. My goal is to make reading more palatable for those who dislike it. For those who like it, to begin to love it. For those who love to read, help them to find new authors and to stretch themselves.
Okay I realize I've really rambled, but then again I am just getting back in the saddle of the school year.
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4 comments:
It's ironic that teaching the teachers isn't a joyous and wonderful experience. Afterall, you WANT to be there. It's also disappointing that the teachers aren't consulted about the state of their classrooms, class size, class makeup, everything. Who makes these decisions?
Howdy! Posted a remark on your entry at http://www.techlearning.com/blog
Best wishes,
miguel Guhlin
http://www.mguhlin.net/blog
School Administrators don't give a crap about such things. They just know that it looks good on paper that their staff was treated to workshop XYZ. So what if you don't learn anything from it, it doesn't apply to what you teach or you have no real time to put something from it to good use....!
In our upcoming inservice, whatever it may be for a school in year 3 or 4 of being a failing school, we will be in a poorly air conditioned multipurpose room with folding chairs to numb our backsides. And no, we won't have time to figure out how to use whatever it is we might be inserviced about.
You didn't ramble...you made sense. It seems everyone, and I mean everyone wants to tell us how to do our jobs but no one wants to take what we have to say seriously. When it comes down to the basic act of teaching/learning it is the teacher and the students in the room with the door closed. If we aren't entitled to know what is needed I don't know who is.
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