Tracking a teacher; shades of Big Brother

 This idea refuses to die and it seems that many people believe it is a good idea and I hate that. I hate that this may come to fruition and I will have to retire. I hate that we have entered the time of Big Brother, because everyone believes that they know best when it come to teaching and education. These misguided people will cause me to leave a job I adore and am good at, simply because the education system is now the most current political football. 

Teaching is my second career. I was lucky in that I also adored my first career and when it came to an end, I found teaching. Seeing my kids every day keeps me young and keeps me involved. I spend hours trying to come up with lessons to keep them interested and educate them at the same time. 

Now the state of Florida has come up with this idea to put cameras in the classrooms and microphones on the teachers. This is to "protect" the students. Huh? Protect them from what? From me? 

This was my past week as far as protecting students. Big fight, 4 students suspended. Girls. I had 2 skip and not show up for class. I had one suspended for leaving campus to smoke an E cigarette. I have students out sick with the virus. Two sent to the office for inappropriate phone use. I spent time waking up students who were sleeping and continuous reminders to put their phones away. (Tik Tok has no place in my classroom)

The ones in class don't know where the Mediterranean Sea is. They cannot tell me why the Civil War in the United States began, or the year. They do not know when the United States entered World War II and why or the difference between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. They think it is funny when we are discussing others in the world who are starving or live under a different political system where education is controlled by government and the propaganda involved. 

I spoke to parents of two different students who are failing my class to ask for help in turning them around. They don't know what to do, short of taking the phone away. So take it away. These students are snarky and rude, disrespectful and belligerent, but all I can do is continue to try and get them to do the work before they fail for the year. 

I have called  and emailed parents with absolutely no response. I have applied for grants to make sure my students have what they need to succeed. I am always at the school for something. Teachers attend sports and buy tee shirts to support the teams. We order popcorn and candy. During the holidays, we buy poinsettias using what little bit of extra cash we have. 

We console crying students who simply feel like no one listens. We are always in their corner, yet we are compared to police who wear cameras. They also carry guns. Oh yeah, in Florida they also believe teachers should be armed. 

So let's arm the teachers with guns, some are still trying to get that idea passed, record their actions with cameras and microphones to make sure no students are being bullied, a bill now in the Florida legislature and pay them less than a good waiter at an upscale restaurant makes from all the tourist dollars that are coming in to the state. Yeah, those are great ideas. 

Let's try this on for size: How about all those people who believe teachers are more bad than good, come visit a school. Sit in a couple of classrooms and walk the halls. Don't interact, just listen. Listen to what the teachers hear; see what they see; experience their day from beginning to end. Then take all this money it would cost to implement this idea of cameras and mics in the classroom and put it to good use in our salaries, Pay us like professionals. The year is 2022, not 1984. 

Who is right concerning public health?

 

Have you ever heard of Carville, Louisiana? Do you know that from 1894 until the 1950s, people who were diagnosed with leprosy were forced to quarantine with all of their rights taken away? They could not leave the leper colony. They could not vote or see their families. This particular place, Carville, was the only colony in the mainland United States. People from all over the country were sent here, many died and were buried here. 

I began reading a book and as happens  very often when reading, I became fascinated with this and the thought that I knew absolutely nothing about this. History is so important to me and with Covid-19 people still arguing about wearing a mask, I find it interesting that the people who ended up in Carville, were sent there as virtual prisoners so they would not infect others with the disease. 

The book is "The Second Life of Mirielle West" written by Amanda Skenandore. I cannot remember why I ordered this particular book, but am finding it engrossing. I think you would as well. Who knew, for instance, that the nuns who helped the Public Health Service run the place, assigned a new name to each person, man, woman or child, who came in to the facility. They could pick any name they wanted and it was done for the privacy of the family because there was such a stigma attached to having the disease of leprosy. This is one of the reasons it is now called Hansen's Disease. 

Medicines have now been developed to combat leprosy, it is caused by a bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and is not as contagious as doctor's once thought. Most adults have a natural immunity to the disease and do not even realize they have been exposed. 

Reading, for me, is one of the few small pleasures I can indulge in and continue to read the most varied list which interests me as a teacher, perhaps because so many are only interested in reading one genre of literature. I struggle to find books my students might have interest in. This is hard because I am interested in so much. 

Check this book out. You might find it interesting as well. Now I want to visit the museum. Find a spot you want to visit. 
 

Apathy seems to be the word in school this year

 This is the perfect photo to describe many of the students I try and connect with each day in school. I won't say teach because if you have no connection, they will not learn from you, no matter what you try. 

I am not sure if the pandemic has caused this apathetic attitude; perhaps what is going on at home; maybe they really don't care. I am not sure. It is something I struggle with on a daily basis. 

Somewhere along the line, there is no accountability. They truly believe they can do or not do whatever they want and there will be no consequences. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

First, let me assure you this column does not include all my students. I have some wonderful students who do care about their education and try very hard to get all their work done, with passable grades, some while dealing with stuff that teenagers should not have to deal with. This is not about them. 

This is an example: On Thursday I gave an in class DBQ assignment which included three very short passages using primary documents. One was from Thomas Hobbs, one from John Locke, and then a short passage from our Declaration of Independence. The students were to read the passages and then answer six questions. They had the whole class period and were instructed to read the passages and don't worry about getting all the questions done, but answering what they did get done correctly. 

I had students not turn anything in. They never asked a question. They never expressed anything about the assignment. I guess they just decided not to do anything. They received a 0 quiz grade. This will alter their grade. 

I had one come up to me yesterday and tell me she "forgot" to turn it in. But she really did it during class. I had several who told them. "Oh well. I will take the 0." They don't even blink when they say that to me. They show no emotion whatsoever. 

It is all I can do not to drop my jaw in disbelief. I have to follow so many rules and regulations to accommodate these kids. IEPs and 504s, ELLs and Gifted. You cannot imagine trying to teach to so many different learning styles and issues and then to have them not care if they get a zero? I am not sure what is happening and my question is, "Where do we go from here?" 

How lucky I worked for them then

 

I am extremely lucky to have been employed in print media during some of the best of times. After purchasing a copy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune this morning, I would classify the paper today as the worst of times. 

I had a conversation with a former colleague  about missing working in a vibrant newsroom. A place where all your co-workers seemed extremely well read and intelligent. Where you could speak your mind and no one wanted to hang you from the rafters. A living, breathing workplace where everyone listened to your thoughts and ideas; where speaking your mind did not result in your ostracization from the group; and where, at the end of the day, you all got together for a cold beer and a quick game of pool. 

The newspaper copy at the top of the page was found on Ebay. Someone is selling it for $15. At the time of production, we were producing five editions each night. Five deadlines and this included every section of the paper. 

When I first began my career with the New York Times, each day we would check the stock pages to see how much our stock had increased. Everyone did this. It was in Lakeland, Florida and I had a couple of bosses, James Fuller was the production manger,  who hired me away from a very small newspaper in Winter Haven. Florida because they could pay me more money and I was a single Mom and needed it. 

After about 18 months in Lakeland, I transferred to the paper in Sarasota because I wanted to live at the beach. I was the first woman hired in production and I worked with so many great people that I cannot begin to list them here. 

When the paper began pagination, or creating the whole paper on a computer instead of cut and paste, I was transferred to the newsroom and worked there until the Great Recession when layoffs began. I worked with the best of the best. From our Publisher, Diane McFarland and down the ladder, the men and women I worked with were some of the best people ever. I stay in contact with many of them., 

I miss them. I miss what we had and what we produced. To try and explain to a person who has never worked for a living, breathing entity like a newspaper, you really have no idea. It is also not a place for everyone but it was my place for over 35 years of my life. 

Today, I teach journalism. I would love to be able to take a field trip to a thriving newsroom to show my students what they were like and why I concern myself with the truth and deadlines, and bylines and giving credit where it is due. It is hard to explain and much easier to show. At least, it would be if there were any thriving newsrooms left in the area we live in.