Do You Believe: The Acceptance of Mediocrity in the Classroom

Today I was at an in-service meeting at my school. The purpose of an in-service is to provide various resources for teachers to inspire, support, and assist students to achieve success in the classroom. Meetings vary depending on the day and the input from the district, but overall they are intended to bring teachers together to increase success at school.

The opening of our in-service began with a video of Dalton Sherman, from Dallas, Texas, asking educators to believe in him and his classmates. Here is a link to the video. Dalton asks that we believe in him and other students not only to NOT FAIL, but to succeed.

At the end of the day we had grade level meetings in order to confer about end-of-year activities. While discussing our trip to Cliff’s Amusement Park, the topic of student grades came up. I asked that students be expected to pass ALL classes in order to be eligible to attend the trip. The overwhelming response from teachers was that this was unrealistic, and students should be allowed to fail at least one class in order to attend. As the voice of dissent I could not help but find it ironic that we were sitting in an in-service all day, listening to new ways to help teachers achieve success in the classroom, only to learn that some teachers did not believe in the ability of our students to succeed.

Teachers often talk about parents not supporting their own children, lack of consequences, accountability, etc., yet we are unwilling to do the same, and it’s our job! What message does it send to students to tell them they are allowed to fail a class? “Hey kids, go ahead and leave one subject behind, your choice!” I have decided that the second I begin to believe that my students cannot succeed, I will quit teaching. My students do not deserve to be told they cannot do better than failure, perhaps our next in-service needs to discuss our perceptions of our students, because before we can help them we must believe in them and ourselves. If we are in a profession that asks us to help students learn but we don’t believe they can actually achieve this goal, then more than our students are being left behind.

Dear Parents

It may seem that I am getting old when I ask, “What has happened to the youth?” When I look at the grades in my classes I am disheartened. Students get their grade reports and when they see an F they don’t seem disappointed, upset, regretful, or any other such accountable reaction. Instead, their parents call or email me asking what happened. Obviously it must be the teachers fault because there isn’t any apparent system in place to hold students accountable for their learning. Parents laugh off the grades, say, “that’s just my little Eddie, what can we do?” BE A PARENT. That is what you can do.

When I was growing up an F was not an option. Not only was it not an option it would have been an embarrassment to me. I’m certain my mother would not have gone running to the teacher asking them what “extra” credit could be given to me. What “extra” work my teacher could do because I had obviously not done what was needed to get above failure. Instead, parents want to be their child’s friend. They want to go shopping together, get pedicures, and hear about the latest gossip. They certainly don’t want to hear the dreaded, “I hate you,” from their child because they had disciplined them.

My fear is that soon these kids will become adults and be running our country. If kids do not learn responsibility, if everything is handed to them on a platter, what kind of life and happiness will they have as an adult? When people do not learn to work and strive for what they have they will never be happy with anything. They will get out of school and expect a very high paying job with little work. Given the lack of effort in school they will not have the skills necessary to achieve any kind of good job let alone a great one.

To the parents of this world, please hold your children accountable. If they cheat on a test, don’t ask how they can make it up; teach them the difference between right and wrong and accepting the consequences for their actions. Be the parent your child needs, not the parent they want.

A Writer Shares

Sitting in the beauty of a fall day, watching the leaves drift to the ground, and hearing their crunch under artists’ feet, I wondered what it would be like to have this every day. Wake up to a majestic sky, a warm cup of tea, and a tree to prop up against. Ghost Ranch is a magnificent space to exist within. During my two day retreat to Ghost Ranch I mostly slept, combating a cold, but I did manage to eek out a chapter and write a poem. The experience allowed me back into my writing which I had abandoned since the summer. In an attempt to keep a promise to myself I am going to post a bit of my various writings every now and again. I appreciate you reading my blog. Please feel free to leave feedback as I am only as good as my greatest critic.

Guts oozing onto the damp, cold, pavement.
A loud cackle somewhere in the lonely distance.
Another looms around the corner
devouring its young.
The mass murder takes place on
kitchen tables
front porches
benches
chairs
next to children’s play-things.
Heads sliced open
eyes
popped out
scars form around the mouth.
The hollowed shells are propped
a warning
invitation
for intrigued bystanders.
More join the fray
the harvest begins anew.

The Great Pumpkin Slaughter

Vote Part I

Why is it so hard for people to vote? Voting is a fairly simple act: Get up, walk, jog, run, drive, to the elementary school down the street and cast your vote. But when you look at the history of voting it doesn’t seem like such a simple task. In 1776, the colonists declared their independence from Britain and began their own colonization.

From the beginning white men who owned property, were over the age of 21 and of Protestant religion had the right to vote and reign over the rest of the population. By 1830, many states dropped religion and property ownership as requirements for voting. This left twenty-one year old males, who were of European decent, to cast their votes upon the population.

Ninety years after the colonist declared their freedom from Britain they voted to grant former slaves whole personage with the 14th Amendment. However, this did not mean with personage came voting rights. Luckily, the 15th Amendment states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This amendment however did not give voting rights to Native Americans. Therefore, all men, except Native Americans, are granted the “right” to vote, or perhaps the right is citizenship into the United States power. NATIVE Americans were not “granted” citizenship until 1940, and though they could be code-talkers for the military, voting rights were not granted in all states until 1947.

For years women watched as men steadily gained voting rights, toiling next to men, giving birth to them all without a voice. One hundred and twenty nine years after the Bill of Rights stated, “all men are created equal” the voices of women were heard. As with anyone “granted” the right to vote, equality does not come with citizenship it takes voting for that to happen.

At this point in our story, only twenty-one year olds can vote. Women and men could go to war at eighteen years of age but still could not vote for the people making those decisions; that right was not “granted” until 1971 when the voting age was lowered to eighteen.

Until 1964 and 1965 many loopholes had been developed to under mind the generosity of the colonists: literacy tests, poll taxes, Black Codes, along with various other methods. The obstacles in the the path of the voter are nothing to be scoffed at. It is no wonder voters have a hard time walking down the street and checking a candidate’s name. Votes are not counted, thrown out, machines break down, and the uncertainty of the Electoral College. Despite the obstacles still in the way such a strong battle was fought for these rights and couldn’t they disappear just as quickly as they came? Having a voice in country means making an informed decision and voting. It is a right, it is a privilege, it is necessary.