Category Archives: Education

The Task of the Educators

Task of the Educators

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” by C.S. Lewis.

Samuel Durr writes this guest post. He was given the quote by C.S. Lewis to interpret and give his perspective. Durr is a special education teacher who has been teaching in Chicago for 15 years. He has authored one published book, a few novels, and a barrage of short stories.

The phrase, irrigate deserts, is interesting in this famous C.S Lewis quote. The author probably means educators should encourage enthusiasm and curiosity, which is a good rule. Still, for me, the desert imagery has a different, probably unintended, possible tangential, effect. Since I carry my own associations and personal experience like an over-stuffed backpack, I will write about what questions it raises for me. Is education, are classrooms, are students, deserts? A desert is a resourceless, brutal environment where nothing flourishes, and everything has protective spines and spikes.

Education is a Desert

The quote by C.S. Lewis offers an interesting perspective about the task of the modern educator.

In short. Yes. Education has become a desert. The need for a sea change is obvious to just about everyone. Recently, five large schools in Baltimore, Maryland, four of which were high schools, were found not to have a single student reading at grade level. Is Baltimore a city of fools? No, and so it’s clear that something is wrong, and I can’t help but wonder if maybe general education has become too available.

The hard truth is that when anything is generalized, in fact mandatory, it becomes worthless and sometimes even loathed. Ask any teacher tasked to hand out free breakfast. Proportionally, far more of it ends up in the trash than in the mouths of those it intended to help. Students even complain about free breakfast as they drop it into the can. In other words, I’m not so sure we have a problem with how we educate.

Force to Educate

Maybe, we have an issue with who we force to educate? If a family honestly doesn’t want to send their kid to school, why should they, and why do some schools have to take every student? This is a little ridiculous under a microscope. It has turned many public schools, unfortunately, into minimum security prisons.

Luckily, I have a solution. Picture, for a moment, if public schools could be more selective about which students they take? Just slightly. I’ve worked at four different schools over my fifteen-year career, and I can say without flinching each would have benefitted profoundly from booting ten kids, almost all for severe behavioral reasons. It’s easy to get all squirmy about the idea of leaving children behind.

Good Intentions

Still, perhaps it should be considered that despite good intentions and hard work, no teacher, counselor, priest, or coach can right the worst of the worst. Isn’t that nature? Some of the brood doesn’t make it for reasons beyond the control. With enough concentration, or maybe delusion, it’s possible to imagine an unnatural world in which every child becomes successful, but in such a world, the bar for success would be significantly raised. And if it were, we would still have students who didn’t “make it.”

The point is that prioritizing students based on their sociability or intelligence is not evil, it’s realistic. It’s time to fully consider that organizing institutions around rotten principals leave us with rotten schools. Ten students, out of five hundred, give or take, isn’t very many but would change the overall tone. Similarly, imagine if a school had the ability to boot a kid because of parent harassment? Only in the most extreme cases, of course, but if schools simply had the authority, however weak, imagine the change.

Education as a Status Symbol

Consider also, if the government didn’t take money out of taxes to pay for public education but instead invited parents to pay out of pocket? If education became a status symbol, as it is to many parents already, they would be willing to spend money to send their children to better schools, and they wouldn’t trash their neighborhood schools and teachers. Competition can be healthy if it’s refereed.

Problematic Institution

There are shining lights in every classroom, even in the worst public schools: brilliant students, self-sacrificing teachers, thought-provoking lessons, and dedicated staff. I don’t want to degrade education. There are many positives, and some of the best humans we have are teachers. Still, this institution has far too many problems, and the positives of change are worthy of the risks. It’s sad to say, anyone who’s been in a public school lately can attest to the lack of resources, brutal environment, ineffective teaching, poor social behavior, disorganized, stupid factories they have become. The point is, we can do much, much better. C.S. Lewis uses the term desert, and it works, it’s effective, but I wish it weren’t.

This post contians affiliate links. If a link is clicked, a small
commission may be paid.

Stamp Out Racism in Classrooms

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link,
a small commission may be paid.

Stamp Out Racism

I recently saw a video on Twitter of a woman screaming at the top of her lungs, “I will teach my grandchildren to hate all of you!” She was wrapped in a confederate flag and was yelling at a group of mostly Black and peaceful protesters holding Black Lives Matters signs. As a human being, I was disgusted at the woman’s words and hate. Then I thought the teachers of her grandchildren would have to undo the damage of the racism and hatred instilled into them at an early age. Imagine something so deep-seated coming into the sanctity of space for teaching and learning. Once it enters, how do you stamp out the racism in classrooms?

Hate and racism are equal opportunists, and both cross many lines between cultural and ethnic groups. People of all races have racist moments. To display hatred or racism is inherently wrong and demonstrates one of the worst human flaws. Racism is deeply entrenched in the United States and not easily fixed. It is a social ill of the worst kind. Somehow, teachers have become the de facto fixers of social ills. It is not what teachers train to do, but it often falls into our laps. While we cannot fix all of the world’s burdens, we can try to make things better. In this post, we will explore some things we can do to stamp out racism in classrooms.

Internal and Interpersonal

First, let’s talk about two types of racism you may see displayed in classrooms. You may witness internal racism. It is basically who you are and what you believe. Then there is interpersonal racism. It is how you interact or do not interact. More complex types of racism exist, but we will focus on internal and interpersonal in this post. Also, we will focus on how to teach our children not to harbor racism and hate.

While we look at ways to stamp out racism in classrooms, here are a few other ways it may appear in schools. Racism exists in textbooks, novels, curricular activities, behavior management, discipline, and school funding. These may not be at the forefront of your mind, but all have adverse effects on teaching and learning.

TTT4U is one of the Top 100 Education Blogs in 2020. Check out the list.
https://blog.feedspot.com/top-50-education-blogs-for-educators-and-teachers/

In your classroom, most likely, racist behavior will be internal and interpersonal. Most importantly is when you witness racism, make it clear the behavior is unacceptable. Also, every teacher must model the conduct and habits that you expect. Furthermore, stop for a moment and reflect on your own beliefs and attitudes about race. Look at the students sitting in front of you. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Modlily

Reflective Questions

How do you treat students of color in your classroom? Think about how you speak or respond to Black, Latino, or Asian children. Do you discipline them more harshly than White students? Are most of your behavior referrals for Black or Latino students? What are your academic expectations for the non-White students? How do you communicate with parents of color? Write down the answers to these questions. Next, challenge yourself to make changes as needed.

Classroom Environment

Now let’s look at some tips to help stamp out racism in classrooms. You are starting with the classroom environment. Walk around and observe classroom posters, pictures, textbooks and classroom library books, music, and other materials. Do these items reflect the diverse races, ethnicities, gender, and age group of the students? If you do not have varied representations in the classroom, you need to make changes to the environment. Children need to see themselves represented in the resources and materials. Check with the principal to see if funds exist to purchase new materials.

Use Unbiased Language

Another tip is to make an effort to use unbiased language. Your words must be inclusive and not divisive. Sometimes the way we speak to our students is unintentional but pays close attention to what you say to students. Compliment students equally about appearance and achievement. Find a way to encourage all students.

Answer Students’ Questions

If students have questions about discrimination, prejudices, and racism, answer their questions. Do not sidestep or change the topic. Children are curious, perceptive, and intelligent. Use it as a teachable moment and make time for student-to-student discussions. When questions arise, it is a perfect time to facilitate and discuss racial and cultural differences. It is also an excellent time to review how harmful racism is to people and the country. It is not time to pretend not to see differences in race or culture. Acknowledge the students’ observation and explain not to put negative judgments on the differences.

Stamp out racism — Anti-racism must become a cause we work towards each day. Photo by Zach Vessels on Unsplash.com

Communicate With Parents

Inform parents of the discussions and any possible projects. You may have some parents who do not want their children to discuss racism. Be very specific to describe what types of questions students asked. Also, explain the answers you gave or will give based on the students’ questions. Ask parents if they have any objections because you do not want children to have mixed messages. Perhaps, parents will reinforce the discussion at home with their children.

Try Prime Discounted Monthly Offering

Learned Behavior

At some point, you will have to deal with racist behavior. Do not ignore it! Avoiding racism will not make it disappear. Silence is not golden when you observe a racist act. Your silence can be interpreted as approval; therefore, send a clear message that racism is not tolerated. Explain why the action is not appropriate.

Remember, the racist act by a student is learned behavior. This type of action does not disappear immediately. It must be unlearned over time. You have to try to undo what the child learns at home or in the community. It is not easy to repair the damage. Also, do not disgrace or embarrass the student who commits the racist act. Talk to the student to identify where the problem exists and how to refrain from having future or similar episodes.

Teaching Empathy

Throughout the school year, teach lessons of empathy. Students can be taught empathy through activities involving role-playing, town-hall meetings, peace circles, and collaborative projects. Do not forget to reflect on your level of empathy. You may need some lessons, too. Remember, everyone is a work in progress, but teachers are role models. Teachers must demonstrate the acceptable behavior and expectations of their students.

Anti-Racism is a Cause

To stamp out racism in classrooms is not an easy task or burden. Yes, your job is very stressful. Nevertheless, teachers, we are on the frontline of the battle. It is not a chore that we desire; however, we must be a catalyst for change. Anti-racism must become a cause we work towards each day. If it becomes a cause, we can guarantee all of our students an equal opportunity to live and work in a better world.

Additional Resources

Is My School Racist? https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2013/is-my-school-racist

Teaching Tolerance www.teachingtolerance.org

How Racism Affects Public School Minorities

https://www.thoughtco.com/how-racism-affects-public-school-minorities-4025361

https://blog.feedspot.com/top-50-education-blogs-for-educators-and-teachers/

TTT4U is listed in the Top 100 Education Blogs in 2020. Check out the list.

This post contains affiliate posts. If you click on a link,
a small commission may be paid.

Teaching, Learning, and Leading with Emotional Intelligence

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a 
link, a small commission maybe paid.

Emotional Intelligence

Using emotional intelligence is a part of life whether it is in school, work or one’s personal life. Learning the elements of emotional intelligence can happen in the classroom and continue throughout the school building. Teaching, learning, and leading with emotional intelligence can be the catalyst to propelling students and staff to new academic, social, and emotional heights.

Mostly, you read about emotional intelligence in business. It is applicable in the education realm, too. A successful school administrator leads with emotional intelligence. In that building, teachers create classroom spaces where students learn to think and be socially responsible. Children are comfortable sharing their emotions, empathy, and experiences. Altogether it is a school building where these five elements work: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Let’s take a look at how the parts of emotional intelligence work the areas of teaching, learning, and leading. Continue reading →