School makes me mad. Real mad sometimes.
I get upset at the way student issues are dealt with. The food choices in the cafeteria upset me. It's frustrating to not be able to go out to recess because the temperature is too high or too low. The paperwork and documentation that I am required to do is enough to make a grown man cry. The expanding obsession with graphable data, plot points, and all things spreadsheet drives me crazy. Parental conflicts, report cards, grading, textbook adoptions... And don't get me started on the testing and all the baggage that comes with it.
School makes me mad. So what?
I have to slow down and ask myself that. So what? What does all that anger and frustration mean?
Number one, I guess the anger means that I care. You don't get upset over things you don't care about. The paperwork hasn't turned into a TPS report to be carelessly filled out and then used for discarded fish entrails. Yet.
The day I stop getting angry about some of this stuff is the day I need to seriously consider my profession as a teacher. I just have to watch that the anger doesn't consume me, but motivates me.
I know that there are things I probably could /should be doing. I'm sure there are meetings, protests, ballots, petitions, strongly worded e-mails, meetings, leading a charge, activism, legislation, voting. Something. I'm sure there is something more I could do. I just don't know what to do exactly. So, I'll start where I am- in my classroom and on this blog.
School makes me mad. Now what?
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There are a lot of things out of our control, so I guess the best thing to do is focus on what is in our control. Next year I expect to be moved back to a self-contained classroom, something I asked for. I am already planning how I am going to integrate all the subjects into a cohesive storyline. This gets me excited and it helps me deal with things that make me mad.
ReplyDeleteAnd my respect for you just grew tremendously. I'd say that's a start. Tami James
ReplyDeleteCheers to being pissed!
ReplyDeleteThe same food is being served in the local prisons, but at least the inmates always get their recess--rain or shine; hot or cold.
Love this post. You are an awesome teacher and the students are very lucky. I often feel like I should be doing more to take a stand in the school system. The politics, rules, and cuts make me angry and sad as well. I know that anyone that took the lead to make changes would have MANY supporters!
ReplyDeleteJen Hicks
Justin, all of the things you mentioned, along with a few others, make me mad, too. And you hit the nail on the head. Instead of that anger frustrating us and making us give up, we have to make sure we use it for good.
ReplyDeleteMy kids may get crappy lunches, suffer through indoor recesses or have to take stupid tests, but parents and I can provide healthy snacks. We can give them fun, active things to do in the classroom to get some energy out (amazing how much kids love Simon Says and it's many variations!). When we aren't testing, we can give them opportunities to learn important standards through topics THEY want to learn.
Where do we start? With the kids. Because really, they are all that matters.
Justin,
ReplyDeleteIt is true when you say that being mad means you care. It seems that this year more than any things have gotten out of control in public schools. There is too much testing, paperwork, and kids getting away everything because CO is afraid to stand up to parents. I have been teaching 15 years and this is the worst year ever. How about we give schools the funding they need, decrease testing and actually teach kids, and CO stop kissing parents butt and hold kids responsible for their actions!!!!!!
Justin,
ReplyDeleteWho is going to "be the mockingjay?" I will. It isn't enough to have a thousand angry people with no action behind it. We all just stew in our angry juices. Something has to be done. So now what? Let's see...what do other businesses do when things don't work? They make noise. They GET heard. So, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'm about to see who wants to squeak with me. You'll know about it when I ask for you to get angry in public! Not that this forum doesn't bring light to the issues...but until you get loud, you'll just be mad with the other 5,000 of us being mad here... They gave us joy rocks, now let's throw them through their glass house.