1. My students are working harder than they’ll ever work for the rest of their lives. Think about it. A middle-aged man, easily twice your size, gives you something difficult to do first thing in the morning. You struggle with it, finally figure out how to do it, and then he takes it away from you and gives you something else that’s difficult to do. This goes on all day. And he promises to keep making the work harder every day until mid-June. How many of us would tolerate a job like that?
2. All of my students love having me do what I just described. Usually.
3. Many of my students eat the best meal of their day during lunch in the cafeteria. And they get it for free. I worry about them over the summer.
4. Nearly half of my students speak a language other than English at home. Twenty years ago, when I first started teaching in my school, there were less than ten bilingual students in the whole school.
5. My students are in third grade. Which means they don’t know what it’s like to live in this country at a time when we aren’t at war. That needs to change soon, no matter who gets to be president.
Getting back to Travis’ comment, I can only imagine that my students must feel about the same as I felt as a kid: We were at war in Vietnam until I turned fifteen and it seemed like a normal condition. It also seemed to us as a plausible way to settle differences. That’s what needs to change. And you’re right, TL, it seems like this war was declared by one group of Americans to be fought by another. Unfortunately, nearly every one of my students can name a family member who is serving overseas. And you’re absolutely right, Stu. We must be very, very careful before we decide to wage war. And then we must execute that war in such a way that it ends quickly and decisively. When we talk to our students about war, we need to approach the subject starting from the premise that war is absolutely the worst way to resolve a conflict. Any conflict. And then we show them examples of wars that were justified. And wars that weren’t.
There are always those who wish their nation, cultural group, or tribe weren’t at war. Sometimes they are even the majority. However most wars don’t end by just quitting and going home. Especially when the opposing force is the one that declared the war, carried out over 20 years of terrorist acts, and shows no remorse or intention of quitting. As teachers we must find ways to guide our students toward acceptance and tolerance toward other human beings. However, we must also guide them toward absolute intolerance of those groups who would deprive others of their respect, dignity, and humanity.
About #5 – I agree (my oldest will be in 3rd grade) but the prevailing opinion is that THE military is at war and America is at the mall. This war has no day-to-day meaning for most people. I struggle if that is a good thing or a bad thing?
Your five points, all of them, taken together, illustrate clearly and in plain language, the difference between “school” in 2008 and “school” in 1958. School in 1958 is the place where many school critics and policymakers believe we still are: a place of uniformity, conformity and safety, where trying your best will make your future bright, and anybody can grow up to be president. This isn’t true, any more, but teachers like you who keep handing out those difficult tasks, are making the world better, one kid at a time.
Nice post, Tom.
Ahhhh, #5. What a truism. What effect, do you believe, that the way has on the way students feel at school?