Teachers need to show the way, but we need help...

A teacher should be able to show students that the world has so much in store for them and that there are endless possibilities within their reach. We can show students the world and what it has to offer them through music, literature, art, and just the sheer pleasure and delight of the wonders that surround us. I realize that it is very difficult for students to understand what the world has to offer them and what is waiting for them, especially in our urban schools. However, I believe it is possible. Maybe I am hopeful but I need to be if I expect to bring a sense of excitement to my students. Teachers make a real difference in the lives of and development of their students.  A student telling you that he or she has expanded or changed his or her view about some aspect of life is powerful and rewarding. One element that is important that needs to be an integral part of this conversation is that the school district, the individual school and the administration needs to assume some responsibility in helping teachers put this concept into action. Teachers cannot do this all alone.

Our schools prepare students to become productive members of their communities and full participating citizens in our democratic system. We need to change the culture of our school to make education more relevant to our students. We need to meet students where they live, responding to their unique culture. Schools should be agents of change and teachers, teacher leaders, and school administrators (not politicians—local, state, or federal) should be at the helm. The concept of our schools being agents of change is not new. It goes back to the Progressive era and Dewey. Jane Addams even addresses this issue in her writings. 

The Achievement Gap and Reading Scores

I recently read an article about how Big City School Students Outpace Public Schools Nationally in Reading. This article discusses the achievement gap and reading scores for grades 4 and 8 specifically from 2003-2009. The one similarity between this article and my educational background is that reading scores were equally valued when I was in school. We were tested frequently and not just in specific grades; we were tested in EVERY grade. If there was a reading issue, a child received remedial help without the parents having to jump through hoops to get the proper remediation for the child. Some children repeated a grade if they struggled too much and couldn’t move on successfully. 

Once we went to high school some students who were falling behind wound up in a vocational track. They still learned academics but also learned a vocational skill or trade. Money for education was much more available than it is now so there were a variety of programs offered to keep kids in school and help them succeed. We read (and wrote) in every subject, except math—the only reading we did in math was word problems. Books surrounded me at home and my mother and grandmother often read to me. I also spent a great deal of time in the school and public libraries. 

In my home state education was monitored under the Board of Regents, so by high school we began taking the regents exams. They did not prep us throughout the school year as they do with the FCATs. The gave us a sort of don’t worry about it attitude. Study hard and do your best. I remember being told that you have been working, studying and preparing all year. This exam is something you either know or don’t. Review your notes and do the best you can. So I guess one major difference is the way my education process addressed standardize tests. Another issue is that we had phenomenal curriculum and many opportunities for art, music, and extracurricular activities because there was a lot more money for our education. I, of course, did not realize at the time that I had wonderful educational opportunities. However, I not only know it today, but I also appreciate the opportunity.