2016-2017 Lessons Learned
I grew up going to public schools and never had a reason to think anything other than wonderful thoughts about public education. But my years working in a large, urban school district with so many problems and too much administration had made me question my loyalties. Public and private schools have more differences than just populations. What I learned this year is how different the philosophies are, and how they impact the learning environment.
Here are my takeaways from my first year as a private school teacher, after many years working in public schools:
1. Consequences are a good thing. Kids learn from their mistakes and come back stronger than ever.
2. Kids will rise to high standards. Don't make things easier for kids just because their life outside of school may be difficult. Set high standards, teach them how to get there, let them learn from their mistakes, and no matter what, don't do it for them. Shortcuts and freebies are a disservice to their growth and an insult to their intelligence.
3. The future of America IS in good hands. There are still respectful, hard working, and driven kids out there. They will make good choices and lead us with intelligence and dignity.
4. There are kids who still LOVE school. Lots of them. You just have to look in the right places.
These, of course, are just my experiences; but, I feel so inspired and rejuvenated by what I have seen at this school this year. And, my experiences are directly linked to my past experiences in a school where expectations were low, consequences did not exist, and the students ran the school with violence, instead of the teachers and administration running the school. And even though the school I was at before the awful one was considered a good school, I believe that consequences were not consistent or strong enough, and expectations were low. I think that ANY kid can fall into the categories of my four takeaways if put in the right environment. The public schools in my area need to go back to holding ALL students responsible for their actions. Period.
The biggest thing I have found this year is the difference in curriculum between the public schools in my area and the private school I am at. The private school curriculum for 6th graders is FAR more rigorous than the 6th grade curriculum I taught in the public schools. (My students this year had the exact same vocabulary development curriculum that I taught in 9th/10th grade in the public school). Why is that? We all teach from the same standards? My students don't know the difference so they just do the work. They don't complain. They are just excited to learn new things all of the time. Lower expectations = less learning and less success. Also, I think the kids are happier and more successful due to the amount of "non-tested" classes they take: classroom art (once a week) and studio art (1-2 times a week), music (2-3 times a week), phy ed (3 times a week), Spanish (2-3 times a week), computer (2 times a week). Of these classes, the only one the public schools had was PE, and that was at a minimum. Maybe twice a week, but usually for only 1 semester or quarter. Students in high school could take some of these as electives, but with no previous exposure, many kids just didn't take the classes or were just bodies in the space. If music class is the thing that makes a kid love going to school, then this public school district was not for them. It's sad. We chose the private school for our daughter based on the "extra" classes; however, now that I have experienced it from a teacher's perspective, I am even more convinced that we made the right choice.
I know there are public school districts out there that are doing great things. This is just my experiences in my area of our world. The point is, change has been good for me. It has reenergized and inspired me to be a better teacher. Changing schools has restored my faith in the future.
~L
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