A Delicate Conversation: Navigating the World of Public Teaching
In this post, I am excited to shine the light on teachers. I listened to an intriguing podcast entitled, "Kelly Gibson: The Real World of a Public School Teacher" on Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People.
There were some key pieces that stood out to me throughout this podcast, and I wanted to share them with you.
Teachers are just trying to follow the rules.
In my personal and professional opinion, this is true for a majority of teachers in both public and private sectors. The problem here is that the rules are continuously changing. Political agendas are seeping into, and in some cases, dictating, the curriculum. When following the rules translates into teaching against or ignoring family values, then there is an obvious lack of respect that must be addressed.
The rules themselves must be questioned. They were made by flawed human beings, and if we are going to be good examples to our children, then we need to show them how to think critically. Question why, when, where, and who these rules are coming from. And guess what? If it's not adding up, or if the outcome is looking sketchy, don't follow it. How about that? The lost art of thinking for yourself.
In many cases, students come first as people and learners in the eyes of a teacher. They need to be credited for doing the hard job of teaching children day in, day out, and with constant restraints and expectations being placed on them. Let's be honest, teachers are doing the job that many parents don't want to do, or don't have the ability to do. It's no walk in the park, and for the teachers that keep their students as a priority, I appreciate them.
2. Delicate conversations should happen at home.
This is where it gets dicey - not because the above statement is false, but because there is an increasing push not only to have but to force delicate conversations to be had in school. And then to correct any student who is not in line with the approved ideology.
I am sure that many teachers don't want the responsibility of having to facilitate delicate conversations. They know which parents are going to complain. They know that there are very strong opinions on either side. It's not fair that they are put in a position that rightfully belongs to the parents.
If a parent brings their child to a traditional school system, in the simplest terms, that school is supposed to teach the child how to become an academically successful adult. It is up to the parents to teach children the principles of their belief system. When these two responsibilities become skewed, we end up with angry parents, stressed teachers, and a family unit being pulled apart by an education institution.
Just a sidenote. Gibson did say that she does not believe that these delicate conversations are happening at school. However, she is self-admittedly from a small town and teaching in a small town, with parents that are very active in the education system. It is a different situation in schools centered in a larger region.
3. Teachers are facing mental health issues.
And I don't only mean that teachers have students with mental health. I am talking about teachers who themselves are suffering with mental health issues because of the stresses of the job.
Many teachers enter the career field with the mindset of doing good and changing their students' lives for the better. However, the day-to-day grind of large classrooms, bureaucratic expectations, parent issues, home problems, and individualized needs tend to chip away at the positive mindset. It is very easy for the job to become thankless and the situation to look hopeless.
At that point it becomes hard for the teacher to remember the reason they started on this journey. Teachers themselves need a support system. They need scheduled time away for healing and self-reflection because their job is almost constantly giving of themselves and often, their only reward is that people ask them for more.
4. Schools are underfunded.
So true, and any public teacher can tell you that. My question: where does the money go? It's not like it's not there at all. Isn't that a part of taxes? We all deal with inflation. The country is not out of money. It's going somewhere. Why are we not seeing it in the schools?
I don't know about you, but I don't like wasting money. I work hard to earn it and I am wise about how I use it. The government does not always display the same care that you and I would for our earnings. That's because it's not their earnings, it's ours. They are just spending someone else's money.
That being said, it is worth looking into. Get vocal, get curious and ask your school where the money is being placed. What programs does it go into? What programs get left out? Are teachers being paid well or is a majority of the funds going to the administrators who have not spent a solid hour in the classrooms?
You never know until you ask.
The Solution
You know I'm never going to present you with a problem without offering a solution. And here it is:
Invest into private education.
If you don't absolutely have to keep your children in the current broken public system, stop trying to work with it. Public education has had more than 150 years to improve itself. If you find it still lacking, move on to another alternative -there are many out there!
Sometimes the most powerful and vocal statement you can make, is to move your money elsewhere.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome you are currently receiving with your child in a traditional school setting, move elsewhere. Do the research and find out which learning environment works best for your child. Remember, you get one chance at this, training your child for the future. You want to set them up for the best experiences possible. Realize that and then do the needful.
As always, Star Students is here to help! Get in touch with us - we can have an open conversation about your child's needs, and how to provide the perfect teaching climate for your child's success.
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