I love your blog. Absolutely what I’ve been looking for this past year. I have felt so alone when talking to other teachers about what happens at my school because they all say things like, Oh not at MY school. And I’m thinking, surely my school isn’t the only school that sucks. Sadly, I’m glad to find I’m not alone. Unbelievable to me, the rest of the teachers at my school think our school is fine.
Anyway, I’m writing for another reason too. I’m writing a book called “Stories from the Classroom” where teachers and students write about their experiences in school that contribute to the “problem” with the education system. I started a blog with some of the ideas: uneducationinamerica.blogspot.com
and would love to hear your experience on topics such as: the rigor of the curriculum, Inclusion, Bilingual Education, testing, grade inflation, homework, grades, parents, students, respect, anything!
Hi Tina – Isn’t amazing how some people don’t see the problems when others see them so clearly? or maybe it’s an example of not wanting any negative comment to go on record.
One of the worst aspects of teaching is the isolation.
I don’t know what it’s like where you work, but the Philadelphia schools that I’ve worked at or visited actually discourage teacher interaction. There might be faculty rooms but there’s nothing there that enables work or collegial discussion because they lack basic essentials: no phone to call parents, no secure place for teachers to store work items, no copier in faculty room, (one school had a copier but didn’t have chairs! The teachers told me there used to be a sofa but it had been removed) and so on.
The intent comes across loud and clear – Keep’ em separated and don’t let them get comfortable. Make your copies then back to the classroom. Make the phone calls, but not here, and not with our resources (I guess I should use my cell phone during class??)
At New-to-Me High School the result has become “every teacher for himself and screw everybody else.” We could help each other, share ideas and form good working relationships, but that was prevented from the first day the building opened. I hope it isn’t like that for you.
The result is that teachers feel distant from each other; problems that might be solved before are not discussed
Tina said
I love your blog. Absolutely what I’ve been looking for this past year. I have felt so alone when talking to other teachers about what happens at my school because they all say things like, Oh not at MY school. And I’m thinking, surely my school isn’t the only school that sucks. Sadly, I’m glad to find I’m not alone. Unbelievable to me, the rest of the teachers at my school think our school is fine.
Anyway, I’m writing for another reason too. I’m writing a book called “Stories from the Classroom” where teachers and students write about their experiences in school that contribute to the “problem” with the education system. I started a blog with some of the ideas: uneducationinamerica.blogspot.com
and would love to hear your experience on topics such as: the rigor of the curriculum, Inclusion, Bilingual Education, testing, grade inflation, homework, grades, parents, students, respect, anything!
I would love hear your ‘stories’ and ideas.
Many thanks in advance!
-Tina
aphillieteacher said
Hi Tina – Isn’t amazing how some people don’t see the problems when others see them so clearly? or maybe it’s an example of not wanting any negative comment to go on record.
One of the worst aspects of teaching is the isolation.
I don’t know what it’s like where you work, but the Philadelphia schools that I’ve worked at or visited actually discourage teacher interaction. There might be faculty rooms but there’s nothing there that enables work or collegial discussion because they lack basic essentials: no phone to call parents, no secure place for teachers to store work items, no copier in faculty room, (one school had a copier but didn’t have chairs! The teachers told me there used to be a sofa but it had been removed) and so on.
The intent comes across loud and clear – Keep’ em separated and don’t let them get comfortable. Make your copies then back to the classroom. Make the phone calls, but not here, and not with our resources (I guess I should use my cell phone during class??)
At New-to-Me High School the result has become “every teacher for himself and screw everybody else.” We could help each other, share ideas and form good working relationships, but that was prevented from the first day the building opened. I hope it isn’t like that for you.
The result is that teachers feel distant from each other; problems that might be solved before are not discussed