If the kids dont care to learn, its not their fault. It ultimately is the responsability of the teachers, parents and other adults to instill the desire to learn in kids. Period.
I'm glad to see that you have included the students parents in this equation. I think that all too often in society today they are being left out of this when we discuss how to "fix" whats wrong in schools today.
I get to school at 6:30AM. I leave at 5PM. I skip my lunch (25 minutes) at least 3x per week to work with students in my room or to do work that I couldn't get done during my prep period. My prep period (30 minutes) is spent grading papers, planning for upcoming classes (I teach 4 different subjects), or making interesting, exciting materials for these classes because my students are, in large part, disinterested in school. I have gotten an undergraduate degree and two masters degrees in various aspects of education, I take classes all year long and throughout the summer months (in addition to working a full-time summer job to supplement my income, which isn't enough to support a family) in order to better reach my students. I participate in homework after school programs, the student council, the school musical, and I tutor before and after school.
And I am not special, not unusual, not anything but the "norm." From my experience the vast majority of teachers are like me.
But here's a taste of what we are up against:
- Parents insisting that her child is put into Learning Support because he refuses to work and it is "simply too hard for her" to argue with him about doing it.
- A parent who put one of their children into foster care because "they weren't getting along." And then was surprised that he had emotional issues when she brought him back to the house.
- Parents who won't return phone calls - despite the fact that they come 2x or more per week, at home and at work
- Parents who threaten to sue because they did not get weekly updates on grades (even though the reason they didn't get a weekly update was because they got a report card that week...which is, in essence, an update)
- Students who state flat out that their parents tell them homework is stupid and doesn't matter
- Parents who respond to the statement, "You're child hasn't turned in a homework assignment in 4 weeks," with "Well then stop giving them homework, duh."
- Students on drugs. (Parents who are either completely in denial or who say, "Aw, hell...its just a little pot.")
- Parents who care more about grades than learning, so they call to complain about projects that are too hard, too in-depth, too complicated because they want to be planned out, regulated, and spelled-out so that a 100% is easy to get.
I'll stop, even though I could go on and on and on. There are many concerned, involved parents. But there are also MANY parents like the ones I described above...and although I spend a lot of time with these students...if nothing I am discussing is being reinforced at home - its gonna make my job a helluva a lot more difficult, if not impossible.
In saying all of this, I should say that I think education in this country is heading downhill...I take a very libertarian approach and believe that the fact that the government has done nothing but toss more money at it and regulate it more and more and it has done nothing but tank demonstrates that more money and more government is NOT the answer.
But...I do feel VERY strongly that the majority of teachers in this nation are not the problem (Even the liberal ones). Most teachers are working their asses off in a very tough environment.
(P.S. Sorry for the rant...but PSSAs - Pennsylvania's state assessments start tomorrow...and being told that its
my fault that a student - who doesn't give a shit about school and whose parents don't give a shit about school - scores basic or below basic on these tests gets a bit exhausting)
