No Thanks...and Schools

No, Rod Stewart, I don't want your body or think you're sexy. This is me just letting you know.


Today I passed through Blackman Township en route to Jackson. Does anyone else think this is funny? Black man? Seriously.

Before I went to Blackman Twp., I visted my mentee at the local Albion elementary school. She's 11 years old and in the fifth grade. The constant din of teachers screaming at and insulting students made me very sad. I fully understand that Albion kids are difficult on so many levels, but you can't expect a child to respect you if you don't respect him or her. I've heard of Albion teachers saying things like "Whatever, I get paid whether or not you guys learn" and "Why did you raise your hand if you don't even know the answer?" What the fuck!? And we wonder why these kids are so angry?

This is not teaching. This is not helpful. Such behavior just presents another obstacle, another authority figure - another adult to be threatened by. Growing up in this community can be very hostile. Many of Albion's children are assaulted by issues like poverty, drugs, abuse and abandonment on a daily basis. They shouldn't come to school experience more negative, degrading behavior. We need teachers to be tough, yes, because this is a tough population. Yes, you will probably need to shout. However, interacting immaturely with students is not being tough, it's just giving your kids license to disrespect you. Pay attention to what you're shouting at the kid, and why.

Lowering expectations for behavior and achievement because the neighborhood is "challenging" is crippling children, and it needs to stop. Kids in the ghetto already feel hopeless. Sticking them in schools where they're basically labeled defective and allowed to run wild is definitely going to produce some, um, upstanding citizens. Head Start is even starting to fall into a rut, as they're focusing almost completely on social skills and nothing pre-academic. Come on! Yes, these 4-year-olds live in the projects, but you can still read them a book and start teaching them to count just like the white kids in the suburbs. A lot of poor kids aren't getting that stuff at home, so do it! Don't assume they're incapable of preschool curriculum. Little kids are like sponges. Start small, but start early. They need support, love and structure from the very beginning. I think if they don't get that early on, it's very difficult to remedy problems down the road and you'll probably have juvenile delinquents by third grade.

When I'm a teacher, my plan is to take the first couple days of school to establish expectations and sense of community among my students. Here's the 411. Here's the skinny. This is what's expected of you. This is what's going to happen if you act up. This is the schedule. This is why we're here. I care about all of you, even if you show me that you don't care. You will learn something this year. This is school, and you can do it.

Yeah, the suckiness of early childhood education is kind of making me want to be a kindergarten teacher. Kindergartners are so hard. They cry and piss their pants and can't read, but I think a kid's kindergarten experience has an enormous impact on his or her future. I'd like to prevent the development of some future gang-bangers and sociopaths, if possible. That'd be nice, however, I don't know if I have the patience just yet, as I basically wanted to kill my single cabin of Adventurers this summer. Whatevs, it's a pipe dream.

Summary: Hi, 10-year-olds don't respond to sarcasm. Please learn to speak to children correctly. There are different ways to be tough.






PS- I realize that no one reads this, so I think I'll continue to write novel-sized entries for my own satisfaction, and so that I can say I'm on the internet. Yes.