The Killing of Self
Perhaps you are a parent reluctant to believe your child's claim of mistreatment in the classroom or maybe you are a teacher wanting to reassess your own behavior, in any case, the following stories will convince you there really is a problem in our nation's schools and it has nothing to do with funding!
The goal here is not to undermine teachers. Throughout most of my educationaI years, I was blessed with some of the best teachers who graced the earth. When I was young I loved my teachers. They were genuinely kind, understanding and supportive. I do not remember any of the disparaging remarks, unfairness, and downright cruelty that has been shared with me in recent years. And while many teachers are good and some are even great, it is important to take note that the destruction caused by the "bad" teachers can be intense and long-lasting.
The amount of research that has been done in the field of teaching is enormous. One eye-opening book is "What Do I Do Monday?" written by John Holt. It is an older book and only one of many Holt has written about the failure of today's school system to adequately reach and teach our youth.
Why is America failing our youth? Is it because we need more expensive equipment? ...higher paid teachers? ...more rules? No, simply put it is because schools don't recognize children as human beings. They say they do ...but their actions speak louder than words ...and they are speaking volumes to our kids. Students deserve respect and honor just as all people deserve. And it must start from the top with the administration and with teachers. Students will learn it from example.
How is it that we are not giving students respect? Judge for yourself in the following true stories. [Names changed]
Kathryn
Chris
Tom
Jessie
Since the policy on punishment was more severe for tardiness than for absentism, on the days she was going to be late, Jessie opted to skip class. After a few days, she was afraid to go back, knowing that she would have to go to the discipline office. She continued to skip. Her mother received a letter informing her that Jessie was being expelled. She called the school immediately to state that this was the first notice of her daughter missing class at all. As far as her mother knew, Jessie had just been tardy on occasion. After a discussion with the principle and the dean, they decided to work with Jessie. The adminstration felt that part of the problem was their fault since they should have discovered it sooner, and taken corrective measures. Jessie had been skipping two classes - Creative Writing and History. The History teacher felt he should have cared enough to notify the office or Jessie's parents and he said that it would be difficult for her but he would allow her to make up the work. The other teacher - Mr. Murphy said it was all her fault and he would not assist her in any way. He was unwillingly to share in any of the blame. When confronted by the mother, who said, "I don't take my daughter off the hook here, but we must remember that we are the grownups here and when the kids get off track it is our job to help them get back in line. I cannot do my job unless you do yours." He replied that it isn't his job to keep track of the kids who skip his class.
She passed her history class and failed her Creative Writing. It was the only credit short for her graduation requirement. She took a home study course through a college, received an A and graduated a year later. Had Mr. Murphy card enough to notify the administration, the parents, the office - anyone, perhaps they could have helped her get back on track so she could graduate with her class.
Other Examples
In some schools, athletes are getting preferential treatment; i.e. being able to drop classes while others are being denied, getting grades they didn't earn, not being punished for a violation or being punished less severely than other non-athletic students.
A middle-school principal was known to tell parents to keep their children away from certain other children [i.e. "trouble-makers"], even though the principal didn't take the time to get to know those students personally. What right did this principal have to pass judgement on children she didn't even know except through unsubstantiated rumors?
The following are actual incidents shared with me. You decide if think it is appropriate for a teacher to:
Ridiculing of Students
Teacher Bias
Ivan Illich, one of the founders of the Center for Interculture Documentation, says, "The schools are the only organization of our time that can make people accept and blame themselves for their own oppression and degradation. The parents cannot and do not say to their children, "I can't prevent your teacher from despising and humiliating and mistreating you, because the schools have more political power than I have, and they know it. But you are not what they think and say you are, and want to make you think you are. You are right to want to resist them, and even if you can resist them only in your heart, resist them there." "
Holt's observations are equally grim. "Most of our schools convey to children a very powerful message - that they are stupid, worthless, untrustworthy, unfit to make even the smallest decisions about their own lives and learning. The message is all the more powerful and effective because it is not said in words. Indeed the schools may well be saying all the time how much they like and respect children, how much they value their individual differences, how committed they are to democratic and human values, and so on. If I tell you that you are wise, but treat you like a fool; tell you that you are good, but treat you like a dangerous criminal, you will feel what I feel more strongly than if I said it directly. Furthermore, if I deny that there is any contradiction, and say further that if you even think there may be such a contradiction it proves that you are not worthy of my loving attention, my message about your badness becomes all the stronger, and I am pushing you well along the road to craziness as well."
Holt compares school to the Army and not favorably. He believes the Army is less destructive than schools. The Army's mission is to tear down and destroy the individual resulting in a soldier trained to carry out orders skillfully and efficiently. The Army's message is loud and clear and they do not pretend to do something else. Schools however "demand the wholehearted support of those they oppress. It says, We don't trust you but you have to trust us."
Holt believes that schools today do more destruction than schools in the past. In the past a person was not judged by their education. "To be not good in school was to be - not good in school, bad at book learning, not a scholar." It only limited you in a few things such as being a clergy or professor. People were aware that there were other kinds of learning other than book learning. "At the turn of the century, when only 6 percent of our young even finished high school, and half or less of 1 percent went to college, the whole country was run by dropouts. But now all roads lead through school. To fail there is to fail everywhere. What they write down about you there, often in secret, follows you for life. There is no escape from it and virtually no appeal."
Before you think I painted only a bleak picture, I will again assert there are many good teachers and I thank God for each and every one of them. A good teacher can do wonders for a child's self-esteem and they help children survive the bad teachers. They give the support and encouragement all children need. But I am looking forward to the day when we can rid ourselves of the bad teachers quickly and efficiently. In any other place of employment, if you can't do the job you are fired. And since it takes years to get rid of bad teachers, we continue to expose our children to their destructive influence. Our children deserve better. The nurturing and love we give them for the first five years [and throughout their lives] should not be sabotaged by poor teachers. We can and should expect that, at the very least, their teachers will respect them and treat them fairly. [Or use the doctors creed, "...at least do no harm."]
If we really believe that our children are our most precious asset, why would we treat them the way we do? Let's rethink our priorities and our methods - because frankly - they aren't working.
All of the incidents are true. Some are recent and some happened a few years ago. Nearly everyone I know has a story to share about a bad teacher who left a negative impression on them. Some students were frustrated enough to quit school - others hung in there but suffered just the same.
Connie Eccles,
Quotes are from "What Do I Do On Monday?" by John Holt. Copyright 1970, Stratford Press. John Holt has taught school in Colorado, Massachusetts, and California. He has assisted elementary school children and Harvard graduate students. Some of his books are: How Children Fail, How Children Learn, The Underachieving School.
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