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- A Message from the Year 2040: How a Year of COVID Learning Forever Changed My Life - November 23, 2020
- Zooming into the Abyss: The VANISHING AMERICAN STUDENT - October 16, 2020
- DON’T BE FOOLED: The Fall Will Be Difficult, But Teachers Were Demoralized Long Before COVID-19 - August 13, 2020
- Teaching in the Midst of the Corona Crisis - March 18, 2020
- Five OUTRAGEOUSLY OUTDATED Things in Modern Education - October 4, 2019
- It’s Time to Replace the Fourth of July (Kind Of) - September 17, 2019
- “SHOCKING STUDY: 40% of Modern Men & Women Are Unhappy. Here’s How Teachers Can Help” - July 30, 2019
- Chasing the Sands of Time: Why Teachers Stand High in the Stream of History - July 12, 2019
Something is wrong—very, very wrong. Teachers across the country at all grade levels, in all subjects, teaching a wide variety of student populations, can sense it. There is a pulse of dysfunction, a steady palpitation of doom that the path we are on is not properly oriented.
There is a raw and amorphous anxiety creeping into the psyche of the corps of American teachers.
We may have trouble pinpointing the exact moment when something in our schools and broader culture went wildly astray, leaving in its wake teachers sapped of optimism and weighted with enervate comprehension. The following is a small sampling—this list could easily have been twice as long if my conversations with fellow teachers are any indication—of problems that teachers were not facing ten years ago.
There is a raw and amorphous anxiety creeping into the psyche of the corps of American teachers. Click To TweetEvery failure of civil society—institutional rot, political cynicism and polarization, tattered family and other filial relations, depressed expectations of student behavior, a preening and non-apologetic narcissism, extravagant self-regard, anti-intellectualism in our minds and moral relativism in our hearts—manifests itself in our schools. The result is a weight of responsibility, an anvil of obligation, now pushing against the outer periphery of what schools can realistically achieve given their inherent limitations. It is no headline to announce that schools mirror the dysfunction of society writ large. With this in mind, I offer the following list of ten things teachers did not have to deal with just a decade ago.
#1: The Inability to Punish Students: This is a story in modern education that is big and is about to get much bigger. A hodge-podge of policies and euphemisms—restorative justice, social-emotional learning, banning punitive actions for defiant and vulgar students—has resulted in a toxic situation where many teachers feel they are no longer in control of their own classrooms and schools. While many of these policies are instituted with just and well-meaning motivations such as trying to end the tragedy of the school-to-prison pipeline phenomenon and ensuring poor students are not disproportionately disciplined, as is often the case, the consequence has been a loss of control on many campuses across the country. While suspension and expulsion should never be the first or even second option for discipline, there absolutely must be consequences to destructive student behaviors if for no better reason than to protect the vast majority of students who are well behaved and want to learn.
#2: Cell Phone Addiction: The constant need for “dopamine baths,” to quote Andrew Sullivan, has produced a generation of endorphin junkies populating the modern American classroom. The statistics are jarring by any account: teens are on their phones, on average, for nine hours a day and the heaviest cell phone addicts swipe, touch, or use their phones up to 5,427 times a day. The correlation between cell phone addiction and youth levels of depression, isolation, anxiety and low academic performance is beyond question.
#3: Online Bullying: When I was a child, weekends and nighttime served as reprieves from the school bully and the general drama of school itself. Nowadays there is no escape and the effects are daunting. One in three children have been threatened online and most distressing of all, half of all children who are bullied fail to tell any adults about it. It is not hyperbole or embellishment to state that young people live much of their lives in a cyberspace unregulated by adults. We would never let our children play and wander in unfamiliar parts of town and yet that is precisely what they do when they engage in a cyberspace that is foreign to their own parents. We cannot protect children if we do not know where they are being harmed.
#4: Pep Rallies for Standardized Testing: The era of high-stakes testing has done very little to improve student performance. It has spawned cuts in the arts, less recess time for elementary school children, more rote memorization, and perpetuated the illusion that test-taking prowess is synonymous with academic achievement, not to mention the long-term effect of discouraging the brightest and most ambitious young people from entering the education profession. On a deeper level, schools are told they must be held accountable, which requires analysis of student performance, which perpetuates an endless stream of gimmicks, cynical incentives, and activities to motivate students to do well on standardized tests. Schools who do pep rallies are not at fault—the policies that make such activities necessary and even beneficial are the culprits of this new feature of the teaching landscape.
#5: Constant Student Anxiety: Over 20% of modern teenage students experience a form of acute anxiety leading to disengagement, more absenteeism, and isolation. A frank discussion with modern teens often uncovers a more disturbing and grim reality, that anxiety has a number of harmful offshoots such as eating disorders, self-harm, and frequent fainting in classes. Instead of seeking counseling, taking a walk, or spending time with friends or family, the modern teen often finds solace in an online world that perpetuates this cycle of anxiety and isolation.
#6: Fear of School Shootings and Lock-Downs: It is true that Columbine was nineteen years ago, but it is also true that the frequency of school shootings are accelerating. In the corner of my classroom sits a bucket with a shower curtain stuffed inside in case we are on lockdown and a student is forced to use the bathroom in front of his/her peers. This is the sad and tragic reality of what might happen nowadays. Four of the deadliest five school shootings have happened in the past half decade and there is no reason to think this gust of school violence will abate any time soon.
#7: Heroin, Opioid Epidemics: In 2015 alone more than 33,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. More Americans have overdosed than were killed in the entirety of the Vietnam War. A school superintendent from western Maryland was succinct in the harms this crisis can produce: “In establishing contacts with some of our families, some of the principals learned that we had an increasing number of parents who were addicted to opioids and were using opioids. They noticed that the chronic attendance issues were linked to parents’ use of opioids: parents were not able to get up in the morning and get the kids ready, to get them on the bus, and to bring them to school. It was not just absenteeism. It was also the rise in tardiness—kids who were brought in well after the school day had started.”
#8: Politicized Schools: Like it or not, schools have become epicenters of hot-button political issues. From transgender bathrooms to guns and second amendment discussions, schools are now at the intersection of division and discord. American education has always been a “political issue,” but that is a qualitatively different status than being the place where schisms about the culture manifest themselves.
#9: Era of “feelings” where students are never wrong: It has happened to almost all of us recently. A student will “feel” like a test is unfair, will “feel” like a fact is not true, will “feel” like a teacher who is simply trying to modify a behavior is being “disrespectful” to them. In an era that no longer views reason and fact as tribunals of truth, it can be difficult to explain to students that they have a right to feel anyway they want but their feelings does not excuse behavior that is disruptive or harmful to themselves or those around them.
#10: Naked Utilitarianism in Education: Policy-makers absolutely never talk about education through any lens except as an exercise in early-job training. While education does prepare one for the workplace, it should also prepare students on a deeper and more human level. Our students will be more than workers in the future—they will be citizens, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and confidants. They must be able to think, communicate, cooperate, and be reflective about the many conundrums of being a human being in the world, figuring out how to live what scholar Leon Kass labels the ability to lead “a worthy life.” Their lives will not begin when they go to work and end when they go home every evening. A true and edifying education recognizes that what students learn intimately affects who they are.
Thank you that exactly how it seems these days… I will share your article with my colleagues.
Maggie C
Thank you for the kind words … yes, please share!!!!!
Great piece overall!
Would you be open to constructive feedback? In point number one the word punish errantly appears in discipline’s place. For the goal of educators should never be to punish; but rather to discipline in such a way as to teach self discipline as students mature.
That’s a great point … thank you for the feedback!!!
I’d recommend keeping the word “punish”, without which disciplining a student or any wrongdoer is not possible. Therein lies the problem. You can train students to obey rules of social and civil manners and propriety, but without actual punishment the consequences do naught but reinforce the value of disobedience.
dis·ci·pline
ˈdisəplən/
noun: discipline
1. the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.
That is just ONE of several definitions of “discipline.” Probably the least useful one. Educating and training to be a disciple……quality instruction, demonstration of character and integrity.
We need to establish “disciplined actions” for kids to carry out at school and home establishing self- discipline. How to care for oneself, treat one another, finish a task, learn to play an instrument, etc.
Whatever happened to the concept of “consequences” ?
That’s easy. Militant, unreasonable parents.
A loudmouth, persistent, bullying parent (who thinks their child can do no wrong) almost ALWAYS gets their way. They start in on a nontenured teacher, where a couple parent complaints, no matter how lame, might mean losing their job. Then they’ll work on a busy principal, who doesn’t have to live with consequences of coddling bad behavior. In the rare case teacher & principal enforce rules & face nasty consequences for it, the parent runs to a law-suit adverse School Board. I’ve seen it happen many, many times, Society has made it far to costly for schools to do the right thing anymore.
Heroine epidemics might be a good thing! (Sorry, I know that’s just a typo.) Parents, too of course, are dealing with things our parents could no imagine.
See, a typo of my own. . .”could not imagine.”
Absolutely fair and thoughtful point. THANKS!!!
“#8: Politicized Schools:”
Before the bathrooms there was English only arguments. Before that there was prayer in schools. Before that there was desegregation and busing, which got really nasty. My high school in the 70s had fights (riots is too strong, more like mini riots) along racial lines. And before that there was teaching of evolution. So there is always something.
and
“#10. Naked Utilitarianism in Education” With fewer people having fewer children, there are more and more people who may not have any relationship with public education once they reach adulthood. So you have to make an argument to taxpayers who are childless or non-custodial or are done with raising kids. Because technology helps us disconnect from our real life communities and be adults addicted to our phones, more people will be less in touch with the public education in their neighborhood or community. If they are not connected, why should they support public education beyond, there should be public education.
School shootings are declining, not accelerating, and the number of schools affected by shootings is miniscule. You are more in danger of being struck by lightning than being shot in school. Splash some water on your face and sober up.
Perhaps schools would not be politicized if teachers were not politicized and did not belong to the politicized NEA.
Well stated, Steverino.
Actually, in Texas, it is illegal to belong to any Teacher’s Union.Sadly that doesnt stop “ignorant” people (because they don’t know any better), or “stupid” politicians (because they know better but lie about it anyways) from claiming that we all belong to some Evil National Union whenever it fits their narrative and/or agenda. Conspiracy theories always play well with those who don’t care to face the facts.
It’s the same in Virginia.
I know no teacher who is a member of the NEA and I have been teaching 35 years. I have taught with 100s of teachers in those years and none belonged to the NEA. Please do not lump all of us with that group.
Wow that’s a cold outlook. Every school is affected by school shootings. Just because there isn’t a shooting in your school doesn’t mean staff and students don’t feel the effect.
It really depends on the school. My friend goes to Silvestri, and that school gets threats pretty often, so actually, she has a better chance of getting shot than getting struck by lightning. Students, yes, students, threaten school shootings there. A 13-year old threatened and a 16-year old brought a handgun to school. If you don’t believe me, here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5OzR-Q65Dg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irOPpcQ5pi0
A further elaboration about the utilitarianism of point ten is an outgrowth of point eight. Too many teachers think that typically left of center political engagement is the same thing as creating citizens and adults. Politics is a subset of a full moral and ethical development. When politics are routinely seen as synonymous with morals, ethics, epistemology and some form of a religious viewpoint it leaves a huge cultural and personal void for students and the culture. Too often teachers see there is a void and just push politics harder under the assumption that politics are the same thing as values.
As a current teacher, I am wholly, steadfastly in agreement with 8 of these. The two where I would argue is that
— At least in the schools I’ve taught at, the “everyone should go to college” mentality is far more destructive than an overemphasis on job skills. We tell kids of modest ability that only losers skip college, then send them off in search of a four-year degree instead of practical skills. When they come back two years later having dropped out with 60 credits and $15,000 in student loans, we tell ourselves that we did our job, and the kid or the college screwed up.
— While panic over school shootings is a real issue, actual school shootings are extremely rare, and decreasing instead of increasing. Students are much, much more likely to be injured or killed on the bus ride home. If you keep a bucket in the classroom in fear of a lockdown … well, whatever. If you’re actually telling them why it’s there, you’re doing more harm than good.
#10: Naked Utilitarianism in Education
This makes me laugh. It wasn’t too long ago that we were treated to the story about the #OccupyWallStreet protestor who had taken out student loans to go back to school for a Masters in puppetry.
Methinks that there has been a complete loss of any form of utilitarianism in education, so I can see how it’s very mention would send some folks into a cataleptic state.
You are confusing “non-utilitarian” with “worthless”. We are talking about history, literature, philosophy, and so on. All things that were taught before, that have been dropped and whose lack has resulted in kids who just cannot think anymore for themselves, let alone have a proper understanding of the world they live in. They don’t even have the tools to begin with!
The US population is one of the most ignorant on Earth, which translates into intellectual mediocrity even at the highest levels of society. You only have to take a look at the luminaries of your Congress to see the what I am talking about.
You want brains, you teach history and literature. There is no way around that.
I was mostly nodding somewhat until #10.
If you truly, actually believe that is a function of #10…. then shouldn’t we be screening teachers for some sort of values? In Knoxville about 10 years ago, the vogue curriculum was “Character Counts”. We had public school teachers attempting to teach as moral development as if it was an academic topic. As the many undergraduates and student interns observed, we had questionable adults attempting to lead young students.
Yvette Felarca is the poster child of “Should not be teaching”.
Interesting. #9 is almost entirely due to parents/guardians being overly sympathetic to the feelings of students, and I agree it’s a big problem. I’m in my 50’s and if I would have come home complaining about something seeming unfair or that I felt a teacher was picking on me, my parents would never have done anything but back up the teacher. Since then (and my generation of parents shares much of the blame) a preponderance of parents side with the child, complain to the teacher, and if not satisfied, escalate things to the principal and administration. It’s an untenable situation for the school. And although I agree with the sentiment in #3 – you must be young because a generation or so ago, all we did as kids for the summer was “wander unfamiliar parts of town” and Mom had no idea where we were or what we were doing – just be back for dinner.
Public education doesn’t create citizens, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, friends and confidants.Parents would never entrust their offspring to anyone with the hubris to believe that they are capable of teaching how to think cooperate, and be reflective about the many conundrums of being a human being in the world, or figuring out how to live what scholar Leon Kass labels the ability to lead “a worthy life.” Educators have indeed been such pompous, deluded egomaniacs as to try to do this and have, as a consequence,failed in their actual job, which is to teach reading, history, logic, mathematics, the basic hard sciences -biology, chemistry and physics, some practical economics and law, a foreign language or two, music and self-defense. All things that are WORK for pupil and teacher alike which is why teachers have failed to educate for decades instead serving as a baby sitting service and peddling social “science” and other marxist pablum
Dear Mark, Reading this comment made me sad for you. Teachers are not egomaniacs. We do not provide a baby sitting service (or else we would make so much more!), and we do not “peddle…marxist pablum”. What we do is have your children for the best part of their day, and make it our task to teach them classical learning- love of reading, mathematics, sciences, and touch on physical education and fine arts. What we also teach is kindness. We teach them to rise above what they see around them, to learn out to communicate with other people. Students may be coming from environments that are not conducive to nurturing a healthy person. We cannot necessarily change their environment, but what we can do is love them. Love them every single day. Get them a warm coat when they don’t have one, provide a hug when they’ve had a rough day, and listen when they need an ear. If that is social science and marxist pablum, then I would argue we need more of it. It sounds like you are trying to express an experience you had that was not good. Maybe you had a teacher you didn’t get along with, or you were bullied at school, or you were abused at home. And that is your story- it makes me want to have a conversation with you about your educational experiences, and how that influenced your beliefs today. Since we can’t do that, I am sending prayers and love your way.
Thank you for sending an authentic teacher response to Mark. Choose kind, choose love-that is what the world and Mark need.