I’m watching this video that CNN posted of this teacher who is absolutely upset on the conditions for this school year. Talking about how students will have to literally sit in a chair all day and practically work alone. They aren’t aloud to move around or interact really with other students. And she’s so heartbroken. And every comment is just horrible. People are saying “suck it up”, “so you have to teach kids manners? That’s what you’re for”. Like no that’s not the point. The point is that teachers WILL NOT be able to provide them with the best learning experience. Students deserve a better experience. The fact that people instantly see that she is just complaining and not actually caring about the kind of education these students will be receiving due to these conditions is just heartbreaking. No one cares. All education is, is glorified childcare apparently.Almost everyone that is not an educator has made that clear. Who cares about the experiences, the support, students having a safe environment to learn about themselves, the opportunities for new experiences, learning how to be successful as well as develop meaningful and even lifelong relationships. No wonder America is failing.
Edit: To clarify, it is ignorant of me go say “Americans”. Not all Americans are like this. I was not meaning educators and parents or people that actually care. But it does seem that many don’t care about the quality education a student receives and are not empathetic to the reasons of why schools are apprehensive about having in school learning at this time.
Just because we have all been a part of education at some point in our lives does not make us all experts.
And please refrain from being hateful, this is just an opinion that I wanted to discuss with others. If you don’t agree, fine. No need to say mean things.
Great post, and appreciated as an educator, but the system has been broken a LONG time. Education changes so significantly in such a short time (due to technology, laws, etc.) that what was applicable ten years ago no longer applies. We can make all types of laws, but what really needs to happen is an ATTITUDE change in America that focuses on priorities: make teaching and daycare desirable positions with a corresponding desirable pay, make all colleges free with no focus on athletics and require students to work for “x” years in an assigned location to pay back the debt, highlight education instead of entertainment as a successful and desirable career path. The discrediting of educators and scientists on all levels – especially at the federal level – is a poison that has worked its way into some American’s veins: skepticism has replaced science and reason. Everyone feels not only entitled to their opinion but the audacity to be convinced no one else’s is correct and broadcast it to the world. America doesn’t value its teachers because it doesn’t value education: kids want to be YouTubers, professional athletes, insta influencers, none of which really require an education to be successful.
When education becomes a priority in America, THEN we can address changing this broken system. However, the “me and mine” mentality since 9/11 may have permanently damaged “it takes a village to raise a child” – now it all rests on the teachers.
The second you mention online only schooling, however, suddenly it’s “not at all the same quality of education” as if they they’re experts. Obviously the above system sounds horrible for all kinds of learners, but they don’t understand learning at all.
It’s not our job to teach manners. I find it so interesting that anything that is learned somehow must come from a teacher. Hello? Parenting? You still out there??
Pisses me off that teachers are expected to also raise children. It’s not our job to teach children manners, but here we are, because parents don’t do the basics. I ran a daycare and a parent wanted to bring their 5 year old so we could potty train them. I’m sorry, I’m happy to help support what you’re doing at home, but that’s not my responsibility.
School is going to be seriously lacking, no matter if it’s in person or online. I know I’m not doing anything extra, and my health and safety is coming first. Going back full time, full capacity isn’t safe, but here we go.
I think the next few years will be a turning point for American education and really bring to light some harsh realities.
I think parents feel at a total loss because like or not, school is a form of childcare and parents trying to catch their breath during COVID now have to prepare for kids to be home potentially and also figure out how to make a living. Not all jobs are able to become remote and this especially impacts low income families. This is an issue because American employers in most cases will not be flexible for children being home or may need to be made to.
Teachers and schools have been at war with communities over resources, proper salaries and student numbers for years, so seeing students move to an online only model will perpetuate this more and now parents will need to take a more active role in their kids education (they should have been already) teachers may need to work more outside school days (the goods ones do already)
Americans have been brainwashed to the idea that we’re still number one, so much so that if they even hear someone say we’re not, to some that’s just impossible despite data showing were miles behind other nations in literacy, math and the humanities. I don’t think it’s a lack of appreciating education but they take a very laissez faire approach because our education is world class.
It’s really unfortunate but just like other events in history this will define a generation of people and I have a feeling it will continue toward the downward spiral it’s been. The outcomes will be based on the culture that school districts and faculty push during this time and if they truly support and embrace remote learning as a facet and tackle it like they’re supposed to, some will succeed and others will likely fail, it’s a shame we have a non-educator as the head of the system who has no problem allowing students to die because it’s how it should be done. We have the ability to be so much better than this.
My school just released our virtual learning plan. I actually really like it despite the insane amount of work I know it will be. Our school leaders have even scheduled “campfire” time on Friday mornings for us to meet with our small groups and do fun things. My team is already planning some activities that we can do remotely to increase our sense of virtual community.