Deadly Consequences of Fear

Fear... Fear seems to be an overwhelming feeling in the air where I teach. Within the past two weeks, the entire school has been directed to "report any rumors to administration." Morning announcements have warned students that they "can get in trouble for mean looks or staring." Sad, I know.

I distinctly remember reading a section in Dennis Littky's book, The Big Picture, about a school that banned hugging. Administration at this particular school feared the consequences of student PDA (student-to-student hugging) and also feared potential inappropriate agendas from some adults (staff/faculty-to-student hugging). I wholeheartedly agree with Littky's take on the issue--what the hell is wrong with us as a society when we have become AFRAID of hugging?! Banning weapons = good. Banning hugging = ludicrous. What kind of message are we sending when we are too afraid to show that we care about each other in a school environment?

Don't get me wrong. Pedophilia is reprehensible, and teen pregnancy is a serious issue. But should these two issues lead us to fear hugging in an educational environment? This type of paranoia kills a supportive learning environment. Or am I to write up the next student who gives me the evil eye?

I refuse to give in to paranoia and fear in any place of my employment. I've already been to war once, so short of that environment, I will not fear going to work. But the day I start to fear dirty looks or students who stare is the day I need to become a hermit, to never leave the house and simply withdraw from civilization. We do not live in a military state, nor will I make my classroom one. Fear and paranoia have no place in my classroom, non-negotiable.

Response to Student Protest

I am so proud of the students from Providence. The video below demonstrates their passion for social justice, their recognition of the inaccuracies of standardized testing, their courage to speak up... and their use of technology to document their efforts. The fact that I teach in a rural part of New Mexico, yet I have access to what these students are doing in Providence speaks volumes about our capabilities. We need to be inspired by these students and take action ourselves. We should be promoting critical thinking in our classrooms... dare I say, Free Thinking!

Providence students protest testing for graduation eligibility

What I have suspected all along... the tests don't tell us squat!

Great article from Psychology Today:

What Test Scores Don't Tell Us--Psychology Today

I Support the Garfield High School Teachers in Seattle

I have never understood the logic behind standardized testing, nor do I see myself ever being swayed to that dark side either. Even before I ventured into the public school classroom as a teacher, I had already experienced my own issues with standardized testing and knew they were skewed. At least at the university level, they seem to understand the inaccuracies of these tests, so one can demonstrate abilities or knowledge through other means.  This incongruence begs the question—why the hell hasn’t our public schools K-12 come to their senses yet? 

By the end of this school year, I will have given up almost six weeks of valuable classroom time to administer some sort of standardized test to my students. That’s six weeks’ worth of learning opportunities straight down the toilet.

The last test I administered was two weeks ago. My students and I were stuck in a computer lab that we had to share with other classes, and the heating/air conditioning system was not functioning properly. If I had to guess, temperatures wavered between 80-90 degrees throughout the day. As I expected, many students were lethargic and struggled to just stay awake, let alone concentrate on readings and questions about language usage and reading comprehension.

Parents need to become informed because they are the only ones who can legally boycott these tests without legal repercussions. The role these tests have taken on in our education system has not been by accident. And frankly, a very small group of people is making considerable amounts of money (tax dollars) from our nation’s schools that require these tests.

Please stand up and support your teachers. You can begin by supporting the Garfield High School teachers in Seattle, WA: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/29/seattles_teacher_uprising_high_school_faculty