Incredible Challenges Facing Teachers Today

Today my daughter told me she wanted to be a teacher when she got older. I was surprised at my immediate response. I told her that she should look in a different field, one that paid better and appreciated her more. I wondered when I had gotten so cynical? The fresh-faced Emily of 24, ready to revolutionize the teaching industry, would have slapped me silly. 

But teaching has changed. I remember producing a musical in my third grade class in Mansfield, complete with choreography and set design, that we worked on during class time. We put this play on for the school and I can still hear the thunderous applause, still see the enthusiastic smiles of the kids who ran backstage screaming in delight when it was all over. My fourth grade class in West Hartford studied India, and my grade mates and I had kids designing saris, creating Indian dance moves, and concocting recipes based on that country to display on a special night for parents to come in and see their work.

We no longer have time for these kinds of displays of learning. School boards deem these types of activities as "unnecessary" and cut funding for them. Selfless teachers who dip into their own pockets to provide these kinds of experiences are chastised for not working within the curriculum. So teachers are forced to drill and kill, heroically trying to insert a love of learning in between the monotony of Scantron sheets and multiple choice. Documenting students who are not meeting their "goal" and developing behavioral charts for other students who balk at the amount of time they are being asked to sit quietly takes up such an inordinate amount of time, that all hopes of enrichment and "fun" practically disappears. My kids have been blessed with some gifted teachers who have managed to both challenge and inspire them within the confines of the ever-tightening noose of curriculum demands. This is an incredible feat, and I am grateful for the dedication and passion these educators have...because they are certainly not here for the paycheck.

Years from now, ask these kids what they remember about school. Will it be that they did really well on the CT Mastery Test? I don't think so. For my kids, anyway, it will be about the visit to Boston with the class or the 4-square games played at recess, about holding a Japanese Tea Ceremony or dressing like colonial children for Tolland Green Day. I know I owe my own love of science to Ms. Gelzinis, who taught us about physics by asking us to construct our own paper airplanes and trademark the design. I owe my love of reading to Mrs. Dzialo, who allowed us to act out our favorite parts of the books we read and prepare poetry for the classroom literary magazine. There was some pesky little test lurking in the background, yes, but I don't think any of us noticed it much. And frankly, I think we were the better for it. 

So Kenna, I would like to rephrase my response to you. Yes, you can be a great teacher. But let's hope we get our act together before it is time for you to make that choice. Let's hope that school boards stop worshipping standardized testing, that creativity is applauded and not stifled, that the arts and sciences are showcased more in our curriculum, and that teachers are not saddled with classes of 30 kids. Let's hope that enrichment activities are brought back into the classroom, and that the brightest, best college students are enticed into this field with the hopes of truly making a difference. Let's hope we can transcend this world of worksheets into a place where kids can truly discover their best selves. And yes, Kenna, this is a place where you will shine. Maybe I'll even help you put up a bulletin board.