ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

We are fortunate enough to give our children the opportunity to experience a different academic experience during the last 3 months as my husband's company asked him to relocate to Mexico. I have mixed feelings about this experience thus far. They attend one of the most prestigious bi-lingual schools in Nuevo Leon and yet the teaching style is very antiquated in that there is alot of rote learning and repetition rathern than incorporating daily living experiences and spontaneity. On the other hand, the cultural experience and language enrichment is something that will be with them always. I am glad to know the sense of patriotism, respect, responsibility etc. they are learning are values we cultivated and reinforce at home. Don't get me wrong! They attendend a wonderful school in California before we left San Leandro, yet there is much to be said about the lack of enrichment in many schools out of fear for lawsuits and repercusions if certain topics are brought into the classroom. As an educator myself. I once had a group of parents complain as I included in my Spanish class the topic of the celebration of El Dia De los Muertos as a way of learning about cultural differences, vocabulary building, etc. Another incident I had a teacher report me to the authorities because I was including hazardous practices for a class to parents on stress reduction...She thought I was being careless in using insence and candles for the experiential exercise.

Sorry my comment had typos, but the point is, the parents have the power and the teachers are going to have to harness it if our schools are going to stop treating teachers like skilled labor. Schools are extremely political places and, in the last few years it has been all about test scores to the detriment of education. An educated child is one who has the skills to make it in the world and have the career he or she wants to have.

The only way to get what you need for your classroom and have the kind of program you know your students need is to empower your parents. The teacher cannot do it. She will get in trouble and lose her job.

I once needed a changing table. I had no appropriate surface on which to change my diapers. The principal was antil-special education. She had been forced to take our units when the previous school needed our space for an "International Baccalaureate" program and quite literally hid us from view. I went to a parent. She went to the department. A few weeks later a brand new therapy table ($600) appeared. More recently I gave a parent state regulations to help her force the system to provide an appropriate summer program for her autistic child.

Find your most loud mouthed, obnoxious ,parents and make them your allies for the benefit of the kids. It can help if they are well educated and havea relative is a lawyer or a preacher, but sometimes that is not available. The druggies are usually too undependable, but even some of them will come down from their high for a while to help their children. At the same time, they do not have to be educated or even literate, just fierce about their kids. You just have to explain things a little more simply.

Then, if there is a policy or program that you know is bad for the kids give them the information they need to make the changes. Stay in the background, yourself, however. Explain to the parents that you have to to keep your job. Always make the contacts outside of work and on your personal phone or email. This works well in special education. If regular teachers learn to do it too, things will change.

Schools dread 2 words 1. Lawsuit 2. Media

I know this is subversive information, but it is time and past time that our children got quality services and it is not the teachers who are blocking it.

Can you say, I know what's best for my child? When researching whether private or public school is best for your children, consider the child that you are placing. I chose to place my eldest child in an environment that was very spontaneous and loosely structured because he is creative and I wanted to foster that. It was so loosely structured that there was a brilliant child attending that could not sit still, so the teacher gave him a big rubber ball to bounce on. With that minor stimulation, he was able to focus and complete his work. My other child needs more routine, so the more structured environment was better. Get to know your own children and place them in the environment most suitable for their needs.

Oh my! This article really hit a nerve with me. I have just been forced to change my curriculum like the second classroom portrayed to one like the first. Everything I do is supposed to be scripted. Yes, I could as well be a robot, not a human with 25 years experience in early childhood and a masters degree in the field. No one consulted out teaching staff when the change was made, they just came in the first week in Dec. and said start using this approach, and by the way, begin with the unit on Welcome to School!!! I am heartsick for the children. I have enough experience in me to stretch the limits and 'do my own thing' when no one is looking but put on the show when the big wigs come out, but there are plenty of youngsters out there that aren't quite as seasoned who just follow the mandate, period. When will administrators listen to our experience? When will be be given some respect for what we know is right about how to teach young children? When will be be involved in the decisions school districts make about our youngest students? We've been trained in best practice, they just want to think about test scores and using the latest hot off the press curriculum without regard to anything resembling developmentally appropriate practice. Teachers report next week in my district and you wouldn't believe what's going on. Sorry, I just had to vent.