Ever heard the saying ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’? I think that would apply to education. We have too many giving out orders or coming up with new ways to do things, but not enough willing to put forth the effort. Guess who gets to do all the work in the trenches? Yep, the teachers. And, they get blamed for everything in the bargain. If a new program isn’t successful, it isn’t the one who suggested it that takes the heat. It is the teacher that didn’t have adequate time or training to implement said program. What about the student that is bullied? The teacher reports it, but administration ignores it. Who hears about it at parent/teacher conferences? Right again! The teacher.
And, what about those meetings? I’ve said it before (and I’m sure I’ll say it again), what is the point of having a meeting just to have a meeting?? And, yes, some schools are famous for these meetings. These are the meetings that could have been more efficiently handled in an email. Or, what about those meetings that teach you how to have meetings? I’ve sat through some of those, as I am sure that you have.
Do I dare say discipline? I’m feeling brave, so why not? Let me introduce you to discipline. Discipline is a fair, just consequence for an inappropriate behavior. The goal is to teach the individual that this type of behavior has negative results and will not help them succeed in the real world. Discipline teaches responsibility and accountability. Discipline is absent in most schools. Kids are running the schools. With no guidelines, no boundaries, no structure. Teachers are not supported. End result? Children attending school in an unstructured, unsafe environment with an unmerited sense of entitlement. Yes, a lack of discipline does result in an unsafe environment, both physically and mentally. Students need to realize that there are boundaries and they need the structure of discipline to function safely. Kids being kids is not always safe. Just think about some of the crazy things you tried as child!
And, since I brought up the dirty word entitlement, let’s run with that for a minute. Where did this sense of entitlement come from? When did the rules change stating has to win. I’m watching the World Series. The Royals won. Does that mean that the Mets will also be given a trophy since everyone wins and no one loses? How does that work? Why do parents support such thinking? They are setting their kids up for failure. Because…. In the real world there are winners and there are losers.
Maybe, just maybe, we should rewind the clock and start really preparing our kids for their future.
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