I can't promise that I'll keep up with this. I'm presently using this mostly as an "out" for my frustration of the education system.
Background: I am a first year, male teacher in a major US metropolitan school system. I teach in the "inner-city" at a school with a homogeneous demographic different from my own. This is my first teaching job. I teach 4th grade. I teach departmentalized math.
I actually began a blog during New Teacher Orientation, but I was unable to keep up with it because of the incredible amount of work I had to put in in the beginning. I was completely overwhelmed at first. I get that this is normal.
I'm actually at a decent place in terms of workload at this point. I have what I believe is an excellent system. My students are performing well on the benchmarks. I'm surviving the behavior problems (much more on this coming soon).
Ultimately I have one job: raise the test scores. At all costs. That's it.
I sit in collaboratives 3 times a week focusing on raising the test scores. Interestingly very little collaboration happens in collaborative... we're expected to sit and listen.
I have data meetings with the Academic Learning Team focused on raising test scores.
I have Professional Development sessions focused on raising the test scores.
I must teach to the objective written on the board at all times no matter what in order to raise the test scores.
I'm astonished that in my school, which faces a significant amount of adversity because of race and socio-economic status that nothing matters but test scores. What about children's social and emotional health? What about enrichment and exposure to art, science, and other cultures? What about smiling teachers who love and support them (every teacher at my school looks completely beat down by the system).
If these things were addressed, I have an inkling that the test scores may raise. But we NEVER talk about those things. Just instruction. Instruction. Instruction. I don't know about my colleagues, but my instruction is rock solid. I struggle to manage the kids. I struggle to connect with them. I struggle to understand their personal plights. But by god I can instruct like a beast. Put me in any classroom full of kids who aren't facing external problems and they'll soar. I'd bet my salary on it. I wanted to make a difference in my students' lives so they could receive solid instruction. But instead I just must teach my objective, no matter what.
I'm frustrated. I could go on, but if I don't go to sleep now than I'll be in a worse mood tomorrow. More coming soon.
