I did not know you wrote a book! That's amazing.
Actually, I've authored three textbooks in my life FWIW, one on applied psychology, one on a certain branch of science, and one on religion.
And yeah, the gaslighting in schools, along with the shoddy behavior, is what drove me to what was essentially an early retirement.
That is a shame. I am a good judge of people and I'd like you as a teacher. What does that say of those remaining who will have no problem imprementing a crazy, upside-down system? Worse, what does it purport for our students who will be shaped by these policies?
It was mentally, emotionally, even physically exhausting attempting to reconcile what we were told with any kind of real world situation.
Few careers other than maybe pro sports should be utterly exhausting. What makes it exhausting is the dysfunctionality of the system, that it turns a blind eye to the actual problems while expecting the teachers to double-time it to try extra hard to hide or deny the truth. I can see how this would first drain you, finally to the point of not caring anymore, and ultimately just following orders and going through the motions in the classroom.
It made no sense, but was spewed at us constantly: gems like "all behavior is communication" (and therefore, if a child is misbehaving, you're just not picking up on his 'communication').
That is right, all behavior is communication, but, so what? There are good and bad communication, there is socially acceptable communication and not. If a rapist and murder communicates to me his frustration, rage and dissatisfaction with the world and his intent to take it out on me, what should I "pick up" on?
Teachers are instructors, not behavior scientists. Worse if you are even limited in the ways you can respond to some communication. Errant students should be sent to the principle's office where he can then show you all how to "communicate" with little Bobby who just threw a desk at you and stuck a pen into your thigh.
Absolute insanity.
