Assertiveness within the classroom

As I come off of an extremely challenging week within my own classroom, I found that the journal article for the module in class this week was extremely refreshing and interesting.

One idea that my mind always comes back to (and is mentioned several times in our textbook as well as supplemental articles) is that urban schools have SO many inexperienced new teachers who are working with these kids. In fact, my very first job within a public school district was in an urban school. I'll be the first to tell you, it was one of the hardest jobs I've ever had! Even though my class size was smaller last year, sometimes those 17 students could feel like 50! I started thinking about what is so hard about these urban schools and why teachers use them as "starter schools."

I think most of the issue lies in the fact that these schools rely heavily on government funding through Title I programs, and a lot of that depends on test scores. Be it DE testing, FCAT, FCAT Writes, SRI, and any other type of test the district is responsible for, these schools are HARD on testing. To ensure that students do the best they possibly can on these tests, a lot of rigid structure is laid down on ALL teachers to be sure that all students are receiving the same instruction. At my previous school, all math lessons had to be taught the same way. I distinctly remember a first-year teacher getting chastised because she introduced rulers into a lesson when that was not an approved tool for the lesson. Therefore, all creativity in lesson planning goes out the window. Another factor is that teachers have the pressure to use all of their instructional time planning for these tests. Outside performances, recess, free time, socializing....all of these facets of school are kept to a minimum so that students may "perform" the best on standardized tests. Teachers have administration and the county breathing down their backs constantly, and therefore, the teachers breathe down the students' backs constantly. There is little time for the kids to be kids.

So what is missing? There is little to no room for students and teacher to engage in offhanded dialogue when they can get to know each other. There is little time for students to socialize and problem solve conflicts with each other. There is absolutely minimal time for students to exercise, play, and just be outside in general. Very few outside cultural resources are brought in because it is viewed as wasting instructional time. All of this adds together to create an atmosphere of restlessness and essentially, pointlessness, for the kids.

I work in a school that, while not Title I, has a clientele of students who do not have very many opportunities, and I feel very blessed that I am able to work here. The principal continuously offers cultural programs for the students to enjoy. We've seen Chinese acrobats, a gospel choir, strong man competitions, Mad Science activities, and dance performances. We have a TeachIn once a trimester. There is a plethora of musical and artistic opportunities for students, as well as Runner's Club. Some of my students are living in poverty, but have a chance to experience things that other schools may not have offered. I think the focus needs to get off of the test scores and start looking at giving students opportunities to enjoy the real world!