Fundamental Change

I write this at the brink of frustration and sheer exhaustion. I went to bed late last night after spending the weekend working on school stuff, got to school super early today, didn't take a planning period or break of any kind, stayed late today, and STILL have a 'to do' list that's a mile long!

We, as a society, have made the job of a teacher way too difficult to still expect the miracles we demand of them. And I'm feeling the brunt of this difficulty in my lack of sleep.

I don't write this to gain anyone's pity or sympathy. I simply want others to see how incredibly absurd the current state of our system of education is.

Even more so than last year, I've come to the ultimate realization that if we are going to strive for drastic improvements in our school system so that our children will be able to compete in a global economy, we are going to have to make some major changes on a very fundamental level.

First and foremost, we have to make the school day longer and shorten summer break. There's just no other way around this one. We don't spend enough time in school. There are numbers that show how far fewer days are spent by American students in class than our global competitors - I'm too tired to look them up right now, but they exist. Google them.

Second, we have to split the workload we give teachers in half--at least! I say this in all seriousness. When we give teachers 3 or 4 or 5 or even 6 classes to prep for, it is simply ludicrous to expect teachers to produce amazingly creative and hands-on lessons, stay on top of grading, have plans at least two weeks in advance, stay in constant communication with parents, and actually enjoy their jobs. There is not enough time in the day!

If I only did school work during my contract hours - the time that I'm actually getting paid to work - I'd be fired very quickly. Simply put, I wouldn't be able to complete any of the administrative mandates required of me.

If teachers are going to become better at their profession, they need more time for reflection, planning, parent contact, in-service training, and observation of colleagues' best practices. None of this can be done in the current system, when I for example have a mere 45 mins to plan for the next week, make all my copies, schedule and conduct parent conferences, read and respond to all emails (this is the only time in the day I'm legally allowed to read email), and take a restroom break. And that's only if I'm not called in by an administrator for a meeting during this time.

Teachers are miracle-workers, but they're not superhuman.

This is #1 and #2 on a list that I will surely be adding to as the year progresses (and I get more sleep).